MONTREAL — Bombardier Transportation recently delivered its first M-7 commuter cars to Long Island Rail Road in New York. The six-car train left Long Beach Station and ran smoothly throughout the journey.
Passengers praised features such as the train’s quietness and brightness. They also appreciated the crispness of audio and visual announcements in approaching stations, using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology. These six cars underwent 15 months of tests in Canada and the United States and successfully completed the rigorous 6400-km (4000-mile) test run within a record time of one month.
Long Island Rail Road officials conducted extensive training to ensure that its staff is well prepared to operate and welcome passengers aboard these sleek new trains. The contract signed in May 1999 was for the delivery of 192 commuter cars and included options for 1,074 additional cars.
To date LIRR has ordered 858 cars with 408 options still to exercise. Should all options be exercised, the total contract would be valued at $2.89 billion Cdn ($1.85 billion US).