New York subway cars become artificial reefs

Since the inception the Reef Program, several states have requested the cars for placement off their shores. Delaware was first, with South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia making the move soon after. Recently, New Jersey requested 200 cars that will be sunk along the ocean floor. So far, nearly 1,000 cars have been placed and sea life is teeming in those locations.

On April 3, 2008, 44 decommissioned stainless steel subway cars were deployed on the Atlantic City Reef site as part of the Artificial Reef Program. The AC reef is located 8.8 nautical miles offshore of the Absecon Inlet, has a depth range of 50 - 90 feet and is four square miles in size. Also located on the AC reef are Redbird subway cars, concrete, reef balls, telecommunication cables, army tanks, tires and various vessels all of which total just under 65,000 cubic yards of reef material.

Of the coast of New Jersey three locations were chosen to be the final resting place for these particular subway cars. Site one consists of 15 cars, located at DGPS coordinates 3915.600’ 7414.400’, in depth range of 75 – 80 feet. Site two consists of 14 cars, located at DGPS coordinates 3915.375’ 7414.625’, in depth range of 75 – 80 feet. The third and final site with 15 cars is located at DGPS coordinates 3914.100’ 7412.600’, in depth range of 90 – 95 feet. The cars are placed in a tight circle pattern surrounding these coordinates to better accommodate divers.

On Thursday June 26th, another Forty-four subway cars that rumbled through New York City for 40 years went into the sea Six miles off of Chincoteague, Virgiania.

Before the cars can be sunk, though, the trucks and all interior components are removed. We're talking about windows, doors, air gauges, car number boards, route signs, and hand holds. Anything that would float or degrade was removed from the cars, which were then steam cleaned and inspected before being loaded on to a barge for shipment. It takes about 138 hours to prepare each car for submersion, including a hot-steam power-washing of the interior and exterior. The first cars went overboard off Delaware in 2001.