Metro-north Rolls Out 2 New Rail Cars

NEW HAVEN — There were smiles all around Thursday as Gov. M. Jodi Rell breathed in the “new-car smell” and got a tour of the first two rail cars delivered to Union Station of a fleet of 300 expected over the next five years.

“It’s a special day for us. We are very happy. They are absolutely beautiful. Wow,” Rell said as she walked through with state Department of Transportation officials and a representative of the manufacturer, Kawasaki Rail Car of Japan.

Hadduri Kawasaki, of the company’s New York office, said the two cars were transported almost 10,000 miles from Kobe, Japan. They are the first of 38 that will come from overseas, with the remaining 262 to be built in Lincoln, Neb., at a total price of $713 million.

“Our commuters have suffered a long, long time waiting for the new cars to come in. ... They have been very patient, but their patience is paying off,” Rell said.

Purchasing state-of-the-art M8 cars for use on the Metro-North line, replacing its three-decade-old cars, was an initiative by Rell when she took over as governor in 2004 and focused on transportation.

“It’s Christmas Eve. What better present could we ask for Christmas than something that is long overdue?” Rell said.

Commuters, however, won’t get to enjoy a ride in any new cars for about six months, until they are thoroughly tested. With red and beige interiors, the cars have greater leg room, larger restrooms and the 105 seats are ergonomically designed. Every car will also have hooks to accommodate two bicycles.

James Redeker, chief of the state Bureau of Public Transportation within the DOT, said it is working with vendors for a prototype on the bike storage, which will share the same space as the section set aside for disabled riders, who would have first priority.

New Haven is working on more storage space for bicycles at Union Station, based on demand from its active cycling community.

Additional M8 rail cars are in the pipeline, with about 10 arriving each month, starting in March, to replace the aging fleet.

“It’s like getting a new bicycle, like getting a new car. You had one for a long time, but it’s still nice to get that new one out there,” Rell said.

“This is a happy day for commuters,” said James Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, which has lobbied hard for upgrades along Metro-North and the Shore Line East rail lines.

He thanked Rell for the input the state sought from passenger focus groups, which resulted in plugs at every seat for laptops or cell phones, redundant heating and cooling systems to guarantee a comfortable temperature, LED displays to announce stations, in addition to the public address system.

Out of a fleet of 500 cars, the M8s will replace the M2s, which are the oldest coaches; newer M4s and M6s will be retained, Redeker said.

On another rail-related issue, Rell said the $26 million for the New Haven-to-Springfield, Mass., project will be back on the state Bond Commission agenda in January for approval. There is $4 million in federal funds that can be tapped if the state indicates its own commitment.

The funds were pulled off the November agenda when state Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, had questions, which Rell Thursday said have been answered.


Source: nhregister.com