New Haven Line Looks To Avoid Winter Breakdowns

RYE, NY (WCBS 880) - It was a tough winter for riders on Metro-North's New Haven Line and the railroad is taking steps to avoid similar problems this coming winter.

WCBS 880's Paul Murnane Along The Railroad In Rye

The new M-8 cars will make up about a quarter of the New Haven Line fleet by next winter and the railroad is still considering what it will have to do keep the other three quarters moving.

Metro-North Railroad and the Connecticut Department of Transportation are considering an overhaul of the existing fleet.

The Stamford Advocate says officials told a Commuter Council meeting they can't say how many of the old coaches will remain.

"You know you get to see everyone's expressions in the morning when the trains leak, especially on days like this. They're really terrible and they really really need to be put to rest," says five-year rider Bobby Lorain in Rye.

Commuter John Loughlin has an interesting idea for what to do with the aging rail cars.

"I would think this would be a great gift to a developing country," he says. "Let's give them away."

Since March, he's had one ride on one of the twenty M-8s now rolling on the line. A maximum of sixty will be part of the fleet by this winter.

Production of more than 300 M-8 cars has moved from Japan to Nebraska.

During this past winter, conditions sidelines well over 100 cars, causing a commuting nightmare.