New York, NY (March 1, 2011) – Since 2009, the Kawasaki-built M-8 emu (Electric Multiple Unit) trains have been hiding under a veil of secrecy and wonderment. With the 1970-era design ‘Cosmopolitan’ cars reaching the end of their useful lives, the public has been praying for the huge investment in new equipment be put into service. Today, those prayers were answered with the unveiling with the maiden voyage of the long-awaited modern rendition of commuter cars.
The M-8s have been beset by seemingly endless delays before entering into revenue service, first in production then during the testing/shake-down period. From a lack of correct steel to electromagnetic interference issues, the M-8 debut was pushed back time and time again. With the first 38 cars built in Kobe, Japan at Kawasaki’s plant, those cars needed to be transported to New York and delivered to their plant in Yonkers, NY before shipping to the New Haven shop for further testing before passing the 4,000-mile mark without any defects revealing themselves. When problems occurred, ‘the mileage clock’ was reset to zero and the process begun anew.
“These cars have successfully completed extensive, systematic tests. The many challenges that were revealed during intensive, real-world operations of the most complex rail car in North America on the continent’s busiest rail corridor, have been resolved,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “This testing took over one year to ensure that the M-8 will provide quality service for its 30 year life. We plan to put more of these cars into service as soon as they complete individual quality assurance testing.”
In all fairness, these M-8 cars were brought into revenue service 6 months sooner than their Bombardier-built M-7 model emu commuter cars. Those M-7s were heavily tested in Canada and at the test track in Colorado, away from critical eyes and comments. With the M-7 flaws not reported in the local media, it gave the impression that the M-7 was a flawlessly-built car. However, they endured the same critical benchmark testing as the M-8 with less scrutiny. Certainly the M-2/4/6 'Cosmopolitan' car outages snowstorm-caused by traction motor failures elevated the need for the new cars to come online.
As railroad equipment, the M-8 is the most advanced commuter car anywhere. The cars also have many features not immediately visible to the public such as critical solid-state computer controlled equipment within the carbody instead of under it in addition to the redundant air conditioning/heating systems on the roof. These improved designs will improve reliability and on-time performance. The power pickup system draws juice from either the third rail or overhead catenary – which allows the cars to operate anywhere along the Northeast Corridor. On-board investigative and monitoring capabilities are important tools that give road car inspectors and shop mechanics the ability to quickly diagnose problems and return them back on the road.
The project's engineering consultant, LTK, sub-contracted Cesar Vergara to develop a ‘world class’ transportation vehicle. The overall touches Mr. Vergara has made on these cars are astonishing and creates a completely modern look for the very utilitarian function of taking commuters to and from work. His work is exemplary and should stand as a model for future passenger rail cars. In addition to using Mr. Vergara’s extensive imagination and skills, intensive customer outreach which includes acquiring comments based on a mock-up, all went into the overall design of the cars – inside and out.
These new cars are beautiful and exciting to ride in. They give a smooth and comfortable ride with all the new 'hotel amenities' the riding public now demands. The bench seats are comfortable with individual headrests and an electrical outlet so electronic equipment such as computers can run on house current instead of rechargeable battery power. Recorded messages are clear and electronic signage leaves no doubt of the train you're on and what the next stop is. LED signs are clear and easy to read in and out of the car. The curved armrests seem to be one of the most notable improvements as the ones deployed on the M-7s seem to tear clothing when the rests find their way into pockets – a definite negative. There’s even an intercom passengers can use to contact the crew in an emergency.
Summary
These M-8s were custom-designed for Metro-North and they are gorgeous and a joy to ride in. This leap forward shows that the 1970s Cosmopolitan design while still functional, have seen their better days. Hail, hail - long live the ‘old tomato can’ Cosmo cars and make way for the ‘new tomato can’ the M-8s! They’re well worth the wait!
Editors: To publish the full-length version and photos, contact me at transprailien@gmail.com.
