The problem-plagued French company building New York’s new high-tech subway cars has fallen five months behind schedule without being penalized by the MTA, The Post has learned.
Alstom Transport even won a contract extension in July for $700 million more of the cars, despite its dismal deliveries.
Alstom’s upstate Hornell factory has only turned out about 80 of the R160-model cars since starting production last year, an industry source told The Post.
The company was supposed to have delivered about 200 of the total 400 cars under its original contract.
Meanwhile, Kawasaki Rail Car, which is building R160 cars in Yonkers, is ahead of schedule. It has delivered 180 of its 260 cars, the source said. Each stainless-steel car costs about $1.44 million and features recorded announcements, computerized map displays and air-bag suspensions for a smoother ride.
Under its 2002 contract, Alstom agreed to pay damages of $800 a day for late deliveries of four-car trains, and $1,000 a day for five-car trains.
An Alstom spokesman said no fines had been assessed and the company was “ramping up the project.” The spokesman referred other questions to transit officials.
New York City Transit spokesman James Anyansi said officials were “in negotiations with the contractor concerning its ability to accelerate the schedule.”