More than two years behind schedule, the first subway cars of a $740 million order by the MTA the tracks Friday. Eight new cars ran on the J line. The MTA expects 300 more by the end of the year.

First ordered in 2012, the cars faced multiple delays, most recently, because during testing there were door and mechanical problems. A spokeswoman for Bombardier Inc., the company that manufactured the equipment, said the problems were related to software.

"It’s normal to experience issues during a test program," the spokeswoman, Maryanne Roberts, said, "especially when new technologies are being introduced, thus the reason for a test program in the first place."

The new cars are known as R179s and will run on the B division — the lettered lines.

The MTA is looking to buy an additional 450 trains with an open-gangway, accordion-style design. While no contract has been awarded, the MTA told Bombardier their bid for the new R211s is "no longer under consideration," according to Roberts. The Montreal Gazette reported that an internal memo from Bombardier stated "our poor performance and serious delays … sealed the fate of our bid."

The MTA did not return calls for comment.

While the MTA may not be pleased with Bombardier right now, the agency has ordered 3,500 cars from the company going back to 1982. Bombardier was also a finalist in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "Genius Contest."