The R188 is a class of new technology (NTT) New York City Subway cars built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the A Division. The fleet entered service in 2013, displacing the 1980s-era R62A cars that operated on the , in conjunction with the automation of the IRT Flushing Line's signal system with communications-based train control (CBTC). The R188 order also expanded the 7's fleet as part of the 7 Subway Extension, which opened in 2015. Of the 506 cars in the fleet, only 126 were built brand-new; the remaining 380 cars were originally part of the R142A fleet that entered service in 2000, before being upgraded to R188s with the installation of CBTC equipment. The fleet first entered passenger service on November 9, 2013, and the final cars were delivered in June 2016. Description 380 of the R188s are numbered 7211–7590, and the remaining 126 cars are numbered 7811–7936. Cars 7211–7590 (380 cars) used to be R142As and were converted to R188s from 2010 to 2016, car numbers 7811–7898 (88 cars) are the new R188 cars built to supplement the increase in 7 service, and cars 7899–7936 (38 cars) are the new R188 "C" cars built to expand converted R142A sets from five cars to six cars (Most A-Division lines use 10-car trains, while the use 11-car trains, necessitating the addition of one new car to convert the sets). The R188 contract was divided into two sub-orders: 33 main order cars (7211–7220, 7811–7832, and 7899) and 473 option order cars (7221–7590, 7833–7898 and 7900–7936). Currently, all R188s are maintained at the Corona Yard and assigned to the 7 and <7>. Features The R188s are equipped with the latest control systems, HVAC, and public address systems to guarantee the utmost safety and passenger comfort. They are visually very similar to the R142s and nearly identical to the R142As, but due to electrical incompatibilities, in addition to being equipped with CBTC, the three types are not interoperable. Therefore, these cars are compatible only with the converted R142As that feature CBTC. Like the R142s, R142As, and R143s, the R188s feature the electronic strip map with all stops on the 7 route. The maps come with an indicator that can be set to either a local or express train. Experimental features On June 10, 2016, cars 7501–7928–7510 had their route signs modified with green circle/red diamond LED signs and a LED numbered-route display, similar