FILE – An A train in the Rockaways.
Photo by Ramy Mahmoud
NYC Subway on-time performance last year and this year so far is better than in 2019, but the causes of delays have changed as riders returned to transit since the pandemic, according to a new report on Wednesday from the state comptroller’s office.
Planned maintenance work, police and medical issues on trains and platforms, and equipment problems are the main reasons trains rolled into stations slower this year and in 2024, according to the report from state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Last year, the MTA ran 2.7 million trains, 486,614 of which experienced delays. In other words, over 82% ran on time, which is slightly better than the on-time rate in 2019, which was only 81.1%.
So far, 2025 has seen improvement, the report shows. Through June, as ridership increased to 75% of pre-pandemic levels, there have been 214,714 delays, down 13% compared to the same period last year.
Subway punctuality: L was the best, B was the worst
The L train was the most reliable train last year, with an on-time performance of nearly 92%. According to the report, “it helped” that the L train has Communications-Based Train Control signals, technology that enables trains to run closer together at faster speeds.
Meanwhile, the B train was abysmal, with an on-time rate of only 64.2%, the worst in the system.
An L train arrives in a station with protective platform barriers.Photo by Dean Moses
The comptroller said as the MTA works on its capital program — which includes an array of transit upgrades for riders — the agency needs to understand how the service is being disrupted and delayed.
“Targeting problem areas like signals and issues with subway cars that add to delays can improve straphangers’ experience and boost ridership,” DiNapoli said. “Working with the police department, fire department and homeless services can also help reduce incidents that cause delays. Above all, the MTA should be clear and open about the work it is prioritizing to reduce delays and how those actions will benefit the public.”
Per MTA rules, a subway is on time if it reaches its last stop within five minutes of its scheduled arrival without skipping stops. Delving deeper into reasons for delays, 31% of delays in 2024 were caused by infrastructure and equipment problems. That number rose by 11% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Police or medical responses caused 23% of delays in 2024, but were down a dramatic 7% during the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. 25% of delays in 2024 were caused by planned maintenance work.
“As we said last week, August subway service was the most reliable in a decade and on-time performance for the entire summer was the best it’s been in years, as tens of millions more riders rode the subway,” MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said in a statement to amNewYork. “That’s why overall customer satisfaction has been increasing in survey after survey.”