Metro-North New Haven Line Bar Cars Set to Return

New Haven Line commuters will once again be able to enjoy alcohol and other amenities after Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the return of the popular bar cars.

The popular bar cars, officially known as cafe cars, were retired in 2014.

The bond commission will vote on whether to authorize the purchase of 60 new M-8 rail cars to keep up with growing rail ridership. Under current plans, 10 of the 60 cars would be bar cars.

“We have some great local craft breweries here in Connecticut," Malloy said during a Tuesday press conference. "I want to feature those craft breweries on our trains as well.”

Each additional M-8 car carries 105 seats, and new cars will be able to accommodate more than 6,000 additional commuters.

Delivery of the first new M-8 cars is expected for September 2019, and the final cars in this batch are anticipated to arrive in March 2021.

The expected cost to the State of Connecticut would be $200 million. The state has already purchased 405 M-8 rail cars, which began use in 2011 and are now the standard. There are still a few M-2 cars left in the fleet, and they are used as backups.

The new M-8 cars feature better lighting, seats and electrical ports and bike racks.

Ridership on the New Haven Line is up about 12 percent over the past five years, with peak-hour ridership up 27 percent. The line carried more than 40.3 million passengers in 2015.

“More and more, Connecticut residents are choosing public transportation to go about their daily commutes," Malloy said. "If we want to remain competitive in the 21st Century, modernized economy in a way that attracts new businesses and creates high-skilled jobs, we must update our infrastructure and give our commuters a best-in-class transportation system.”

Image via Governor's Office