Business & Tech

New M-8 Rail Cars: We've Left the Third World

New cars get high marks from train riders.

The 5:19 p.m. train into Fairfield was a little late Thursday, but the commuters didn't seem to mind. One likely reason? The train had Metro-North Railroad's new M-8 rail cars.

"It's nice, at least it's clean. There's more leg room," said Ryan Boyle, 28, of Seymour, one of about two dozen rail riders who got off the shiny new cars at the Fairfield Railroad Station about 5:25 p.m.

Boyle, though, said seats in the new cars are hard and need to be broken in. "It seems like there's more seats, but they're not as comfortable as the old ones," he said, referring to Metro-North's older rail cars, which date to the 1970s.

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Boyle added that the most important thing was that the train hadn't broken down, a dilemma that plagued Metro-North's older cars in the harsh winter. "I've had it the last two days, to and from work, and it's been on time," Boyle said of the M-8.

Bill Miller, 60, of Fairfield, who took his maiden trip on the M-8 Thursday afternoon, said he thought the rail car was comfortable and clean, and he liked the extra leg room and automatic recording that announced the next stop. But Miller said interior lights in the M-8 are so bright that it's difficult to catch some sleep without sunglasses.

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But bright lights were only a minor glitch for Miller, who said he had "a fun ride" on the M-8. "Overall, 100 percent better," Miller said.

Doug Zarookian, 59, of Fairfield, who also got off the 5:19 p.m. train into Fairfield, said the new M-8 cars are "awesome."

"We've left the Third World," Zarookian quipped as he grabbed hold of his bike to pedal home. Zarookian said he liked the M-8's roomy seats, spacious interior, comfortable headrests and access to electrical outlets.

"I almost went all the way to New Haven," Zarookian said. "So much better, no comparison."

Zarookian said the best part of Thursday afternoon's commute was when the new M-8 stopped at train stations west of Fairfield and he saw the looks and smiles on people's faces as they boarded the train. "Too bad I'll be back on the old ones tomorrow," he said.

Before the 5:19 p.m. train arrived, John Whaley, who was waiting on the platform to take the train from Fairfield to New Haven, said he hadn't been on the new M-8 but was really looking forward to it. "I ride every day. I'm super excited for the new one. The old ones, they're a little uncomfortable," he said. "I'm super psyched that we're getting new trains."

Whaley, 28, of Hamden, said he has no choice about what train he takes in the morning - he has to take the 6:50 a.m. from New Haven - but can leave work in the afternoon at a time that works best for him. "When I leave at night is my choice. I would much rather take the new train home if possible," he said.

Ironically, Whaley didn't know the train he was about to board Thursday afternoon was a new M-8, and he was pleasantly surprised to learn it was. "This is my maiden trip," he said as the M-8 pulled into the station and Whaley waited for commuters to leave the train.

Metro-North is running one M-8 train in the morning that stops in Fairfield on its way to New York and one M-8 train in the afternoon that stops in Fairfield on its way to New Haven. The inbound train leaves New Haven at 6:24 a.m. and arrives at Fairfield at 6:53 a.m., and the outbound train leaves Grand Central Terminal at 4:07 p.m. and arrives in Southport at 5:16 p.m. and in Fairfield at 5:19 p.m.

Boyle said he hasn't seen more people on the M-8 he rides in comparison to the older train. "As far as crowded goes, it's pretty much the same amount of people," he said.


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