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The Metro-North Railroad is a commuter railroad serving northern suburbs of New York City. It principally uses a fleet of electric railcars for its services; diesel locomotives and push-pull coaches are in use as well for non-electrified portions of the system.

History

When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority began to subsidize commuter rail systems of Penn Central Railroad and Erie Lackawanna Railway in the early-1970s, they inherited equipment of the former New York Central Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad and Erie-Lackawanna Railroad, some of which dated back to the early 20th Century. However, they also began to operate variations of the new M1 railcar which was designated as the "M1A." The next new fleet of EMUs came with the M2s, which replaced Pullman 4400-series cars dating back to the early 1920s to 1954 from 1973 to 1977. With the expansion of electrified territory, 142 M3As were ordered, arriving between 1984 and 1986. Two additional small orders would supplement the existing fleet; 54 M4s arrived in late 1987, and in 1994 48 M6s arrived. Many diesel locomotives inherited from those railroads, however, were used as recently as the early 21st Century. The M1As were replaced between 2004 and 2007 with the arrival of the 336 M7As. [1] In order to replace the M2, M4, and M6s on the New Haven Line and to respond to increasing ridership on that line 405 M8s were ordered. In 2016, in response to ridership higher than initially expected on the New Haven Line, up to 94 additional M8s will be built to meet that line's needs. [2]

Active rolling stock

Locomotives

Builder and model Photo Build
year
Year rebuilt Fleet numbers Power Notes
EMD GP35R 1964–1965 1991–1992;
2013–2017, 2019
101–108
(8 units)
2,500 horsepower (1,900 kW)
  • Work locomotive only
  • Rebuilt by Brookville Equipment
EMD GP40FH-2M 1966–1970 1992–1993;
2007
4900–4905
(6 units)
3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW)
  • Operated by NJ Transit for West of Hudson services
EMD GP40PH-2M 1968 1992;
2007
4906
(1 unit)
EMD F40PH-3C 1976–1981 2009–2010 4907–4914
(8 units)
GE P32AC-DM 1995–2001 2012–2015 201–231
(31 units)
3,200 horsepower (2,400 kW)
  • Dual mode for operation into Grand Central Terminal
  • To be replaced by Siemens SC-42DM
  • 201–227 are in Metro-North paint scheme
  • 228–231 are owned by ConnDOT, painted in the New Haven McGinnis scheme
  • 208 is wrapped in "Beach Ball" heritage scheme, commemorating Metro-North's 40th anniversary
  • 201 is wrapped in " Conrail" heritage scheme, commemorating Metro-North's 40th anniversary
  • 211 is wrapped in “ New York Central Lightning Stripe” heritage scheme, commemorating Metro-North's 40th anniversary
  • 217 is wrapped in " Penn Central Blue and Yellow" heritage scheme, commemorating Metro North's 40th anniversary
Brookville BL20GH 2008 2017– 110–115, 125–130
(12 units)
2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW)
  • Used on branch line shuttles and work trains
  • All being rebuilt as BL20GHM
  • 110–115 are in Metro-North paint scheme
  • 125–130 are owned by ConnDOT, painted in the CT Rail scheme.
Brookville BL14CG 2009 401–402
(2 units)
2,000 horsepower (1,500 kW)
EMD GP40-3H
1971 2016-2018 6698-6699

(2 units)

3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW)
  • Leased from CT Rail until the remaining BL20GHs are rebuilt.
  • Limited to branch line shuttle service
  • 2 units leased with option for third

Future locomotives

Builder and model Build
year
Fleet numbers Power Notes
Siemens SC-42DM Charger 2023–2027 (33 units) 4,400 horsepower (3,300 kW)
  • Dual-mode locomotive; can run on electric power in all third-rail electrified sections, and on diesel power elsewhere [3]
  • Options to purchase 32 additional MNRR locomotives, along with 20 locomotives for ConnDOT, 25 for NYSDOT, and 60 for LIRR

In December 2020, the Metro-North board approved a Federal Transit Administration funded $334.9 million contract for Siemens to manufacture and test 19 dual-mode locomotives with an option for an additional eight more. 19 of the 27 dual-mode Locomotives ordered have already been fully approved for $231.6 million with the other eight at a cost of $82.1 million. In addition, the contract also includes capital spare parts for $12.9 million, a training simulator for $1.5 million, test equipment for $3 million, and extended warranty for $3.6 million. This contract includes 144 in total option locomotives with 66 additional locomotives for Long Island Rail Road in an alternate configuration, 32 additional locomotives for Metro-North, 20 for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and 26 locomotives in an alternate configuration for Amtrak/ NYSDOT. These dual modes would be able to work on both Amtrak and Metro-North signal systems and will be able to sustain 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) in service. [4] [5]

Push-pull coaches

These cars are non-powered.

Builder and model Photo Build
year
Year Rebuilt Fleet Numbers Number Active Notes
Bombardier
Comet II
1983, 1987 2009 6125, 6127, 6129, 6131, 6134, 6136, 6138, 6140, 6142–6149, 6176, 6178, 6180 19 Formerly used for West of Hudson service, transferred in 2009. Not rebuilt until transferred to East of Hudson.
Bombardier
Shoreliner I
1983 1995–1996; 2008–2009 6101, 6103, 6105, 6107, 6109, 6150–6160, 6162, 6164, 6166, 6201, 6203, 6205, 6207, 6209, 6250–6260, 6262, 6264, 6266, 6268 39
Bombardier
Shoreliner II
1987–1988 2008–2009 6111, 6113, 6115, 6117, 6119, 6121, 6123, 6161, 6163, 6165, 6167–6175, 6177, 6179, 6182, 6184, 6186, 6190, 6211, 6213, 6215, 6217, 6219, 6223, 6225, 6227, 6229, 6230, 6232, 6234, 6236, 6238, 6240, 6270, 6272, 6274, 6276, 6278 45 6188 wrecked and retired after 2013 accident at Spuyten Duyvil
Bombardier
Shoreliner III
1991–2002 NA 6301-6310

6330-6344, 6346-6362 6364, 6366, 6368, 6370, 6372, 6374

48 6345 wrecked and retired after 2013 accident at Spuyten Duyvil.
Bombardier
Shoreliner IV
1996–2002 6221, 6222, 6311–6320 57 6222, 6288, and 6440 wrecked and retired after 2013 accident at Spuyten Duyvil.
Alstom
Comet V
2004 6700–6714, 6750–6799 65 Operated by NJ Transit for West of Hudson service.
Budd club/lounge 1949 1-3 3 Only used on special trains, ex-Lackawanna and New York Central. [6]

Future push-pull coaches

In August 2023, CTDOT approved a contract with Alstom for 60 single-level passenger cars. The cars will replace the existing Shoreliner coach fleet on the Waterbury Branch and the Danbury Branch, as well as Mafersa coaches and leased MBTA MBB coaches on the Hartford Line. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2026. [7] [8]

Electric multiple units

M3A and M7A cars draw power from 650 V DC third rail with under-running contact shoes. M8 draw power from third rail, both over- and under-running, or 12.5 kV 60 Hz and 25 kV 60 Hz AC catenary.

Builder and model Photo Build
year
Year rebuilt Fleet numbers Number

Active

Notes
Budd
M3A
1983–1985 2008–2015 8000–8141 140
Bombardier
M7A
2004–2006 N/A 4000–4335 334 4333 burned and destroyed in 2013 accident in Valhalla.
Kawasaki
M8
2009–2015 9100–9421,
9460, 9462, 9464, 9466, 9468, 9470, 9472, 9474, 9476 (unpowered single cars)
9500–9519
9560, 9562, 9564, 9566, 9568, 9570, 9572, 9574, 9576, 9578, 9580, 9582, 9584, 9586, 9588, 9590 (unpowered single cars)
9600–9623
471
  • The order of 60 additional cars, and 34 additional cars with an option order was announced in 2016 [2]
  • Replaced all M2/M4/M6s
  • Shared with CDOT for use on Shore Line East services

Possible future electric multiple units

Builder and model Photo Build
year
Year rebuilt Fleet numbers Notes
Kawasaki
M9A
TBD N/A TBD
Up to 300 cars

MTA originally planned to order 188 M9A cars for Metro-North as part of the 2015-2019 Capital Program. [9] In June 2018, Metro-North announced that they would elect to not exercise their options for the M9 order, instead overhauling their M3A units to extend their lifespan. [10] However, that November, Metro-North stated that they "are working with LIRR to procure 170 new M9A cars in the next Capital Program to provide additional capacity and replace M3As." [11]

Retired rolling stock

Roster rolling stock manufactured from 1946 to the present.

Builder and model Photo Built Retired Heritage Successor Power Notes
Locomotives
Brookville
BL06
2000 2012 Metro-North BL20GH 600 HP Used as a yard switcher
EMD FP10 1946–1949 (rebuilt in late 1970s) 2008 GM&O; MBTA P32AC-DM, BL20GH 1750 hp Original Gulf Mobile & Ohio F3s, later MBTA; rebuilt F3s. 412 in service at Adirondack Scenic Railroad as 1502; 413 preserved at Danbury Railway Museum.
EMD GP9 1956 2009 New York Central Brookville BL14CG 1400 hp Work Locomotive; 750 is stored at Croton-Harmon
EMD GP8 1957 2010 1750 hp Work Locomotive only. 543 is used during the winter to melt ice off the third rail. Reactivated for switcher service in 2012 after retirement 2010. At Croton-Harmon retired; in long term storage
ALCO RS-3m 1956 1990s New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 1200 hp Preserved at Danbury Railway Museum
EMD FL9 1956–1959 1998–2002, 2009 New York, New Haven and Hartford; Penn Central; Conrail P32AC-DM, BL20GH, Amtrak P40DC 1800 hp Dual-mode locomotive with third rail shoe for running in Park Ave Tunnel - in later years was relegated to 100% diesel work on branch lines. Several have been donated to railroad museums.
GE B23-7 1976 1993 Conrail GP35R 2250 hp Work Locomotive; ex-Conrail. Traded Back to GE on expiration of lease for the GP35Rs.
GE U34CH 1978 1994 Erie Lackawanna GP40PH-2 3600 hp Used for the Port Jervis Line. Rebuilt Chicago and North Western U30C; Scrapped
Republic Locomotive FL9AC 1992 2005 New York New Haven and Hartford; LIRR P32AC-DM 3000 hp Ex. LIRR; rebuilt EMD FL9s. All scrapped.
GE P40DC 1993 2009 Amtrak BL20GH 4000 hp Amtrak-leased units to replace FL9s. Retained Amtrak paint and logo. Were used on Danbury, Waterbury and Wassaic branch lines. Amtrak 833, 834, 836, 838, 840, 841, 842, and 843. When Metro-North returned these units, they were sold to CDOT for Shore Line East. All rebuilt and now used on Hartford Line.
Self-Propelled Cars
Budd RDC 1950–1956 1991 New York Central; New York New Haven and Hartford P32AC-DM; Shoreliner coaches 550 hp Used on Port Jervis Line and Waterbury Branch. New Haven 32 and 47 are at Danbury Railway Museum; 47 was stripped for parts for 32. 32 is operational. Metro-North demotored certain units for push pull coaches
Pullman 4400 1954 1983 New York, New Haven and Hartford Budd M2s 650 V DC Third Rail under running
11 kV 25 Hz AC catenary
Ex-New Haven Railroad; ran on New Haven Line; 3 units are at Danbury Railway Museum (One owned by private individual); Replaced by M2s
Pullman ACMU 1962–1965 2004 New York Central Bombardier M7As 650 V DC third rail under-running Ex-New York Central; electrical multiple units; replaced by M7As. 1128 and 1171 are at Danbury Railway Museum.
Budd SPV-2000 1978–1981 1996 Amtrak/CDOT, MTA P32AC-DM; Shoreliner coaches 550 hp Owned by MTA and CDOT (CDOT units had Amtrak logos in addition to State of CT seal.) Used on branch lines of Metro-North and Amtrak's Springfield line. CDOT de-powered their units for Shore Line East. Those have since been retired in favor of Ex-VRE Mafersa push-pull coaches. MNCR 293 is preserved at Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum in Willimantic, CT. Several CDOT-owned de-powered units were sent to New Orleans for hurricane-standby duty.
Budd M1A 1971–1973 2009 Penn Central Bombardier M7As 650 V DC third rail under-running Replaced by M7As
Budd M2 1972–1977, rebuilt 1992–1994, 2006 2018 Kawasaki M8s 650 V DC third rail under-running & 12.5 kV 60 Hz AC catenary Largely replaced by M8s in 2015, all replaced in 2018. Pair 8706-8707 has been preserved by the Danbury Railway Museum.
Tokyu Car M4 1987–1988 2015 Metro-North/ ConnDOT Replaced by M8s, last run of M4/M6 equipment June 26, 2015.
Morrison-Knudsen M6 1994 2015 Replaced by M8s, last run of M4/M6 equipment June 26, 2015, last new build DC traction railcars in North America
Coaches
Various stainless-steel coaches and club cars Various years 1985 New York New Haven and Hartford, New York Central Shoreliner I and II Cars Non-Powered Disposed of or sold through the 1980s as new equipment came on line.
Pullman Standard 4800 series coaches 1950s SEMTA Detroit's commuter carrier.
Morrison-Knudsen Boise Budds 1982 1998 Shoreliner III cars Rebuilt Budd RDCs that had their Engines Removed and used as Push-Pull cars; Original MBTA then sold to VRE in 1986 then VRE sold them to Metro-North. 2 units sit on a deadline in Croton-Harmon; Rest sold to Caltrain in 2000, and are now used by the Grand Canyon Railway since 2005.
GE/ Avco/ Vickers Comet IA 1978 2005 Metro North Alstom Comet V Two cabs and eight trailers were built from surplus shells from the Arrow III EMU for NJDOT. They saw use primarily on the Port Jervis Line. Replaced by Comet V cars.
Bombardier Comet III 1991 1998/2008 New Jersey Transit Sold to NJT in 1998, sold back to Metro-North in 2008. Now converted for use on LaserTrain.

Bar cars

Metro-North Railroad was the last commuter railroad in the United States to operate bar cars-- electric MUs equipped with bars that served alcohol. The M2 bar cars were delivered in 1974, and Metro-North has not ordered new ones. The last train which included a bar car left Grand Central for New Haven at 7:34 PM on Friday, May 9, 2014. While there is talk of retrofitting M8 cars with bars, no decision has been reached and no money allocated. However, on September 13, 2016, Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced that the state would be buying another 60 M8 cars, 10 being "bar cars". [12] However, the idea was abandoned due to cost and train capacity concerns, as well as Metro-North not being willing to handle the bar themselves, wishing for an outside company to run the operation itself. [13] [14] [15]

References

  1. ^ "MTA | news | Acquisition of New Fleet and Intensive Maintenance are Main Factors". www.mta.info. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  2. ^ a b "MTA | Press Release | Metro-North | MTA Metro-North Railroad to Receive Up to 94 Additional M8 Cars for the New Haven Line". www.mta.info. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "Capital Program Committee Meeting - May 2023". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "Page 128". 2020-12-16.
  5. ^ "Metro-North set to buy dual-mode locomotives from Siemens".
  6. ^ says, Michael Moss (2019-12-04). "Metro-North holiday special set for first trips (updated) | Trains Magazine". Trains. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  7. ^ "Alstom to supply 60 single-level coach cars to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for its statewide rail system" (Press release). Alstom. August 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Governor Lamont Announces Purchase of 60 New Rail Cars to Modernize Commuter Rail Lines" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. August 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting October 2016" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 26, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  10. ^ "Metro-North/LIRR Committee Meeting: June 2018". MTA. June 18, 2018.
  11. ^ "Metro-North Railroad Committee Meeting" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 13, 2018. p. 85. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 11, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  12. ^ "Bar cars returning to Metro-North commuter trains". FOX 61. 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-11-26.
  13. ^ "Bar cars unlikely to return on Metro-North, Connecticut DOT commissioner says | Trains Magazine". TrainsMag.com. April 11, 2019. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  14. ^ Vigdor, Neil (10 April 2019). "Sober reality: DOT commish says bar cars not likely to return anytime soon on Metro-North New Haven Line". courant.com. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  15. ^ Ormseth, Matthew (27 May 2018). "Bar Cars Tabled, Again: Beloved Boozy Carriages Quashed By Transportation Funding Woes". courant.com. Retrieved 2020-07-27.

External links

Media related to Rolling stock of the Metro-North Railroad at Wikimedia Commons