Fines for littering in New York City’s subway will double to $100 from $50 next week, the latest move by transit officials to address the problems afflicting the city’s fraying subway system.

Trash left behind by subway riders has become a recurring culprit behind the disruptions that have upended the lives of many riders: discarded newspapers and food containers that fall onto the tracks can catch fire.

Last year, trash was blamed for 638 rail fires.

“Each piece in of itself is insignificant,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said during a late-night tour on Wednesday of the No. 6 line beneath Manhattan during which he announced plans to increase littering fines. “It’s a food wrapper. But when you add up this littering, it’s tons of trash being left in the system.”

The governor called for more aggressive enforcement of the state’s littering law, which applies to the subway and has been lightly enforced in recent years.