STAMFORD, Conn. — Officials in eight Fairfield County towns are urging the state to order new trains for the Metro-North commuter line and not wait for the results of a study on double-decker cars, the Associated Press reported.
In a letter to state Transportation Strategy Board Chairman R. Nelson “Oz” Griebel, Westport First Selectwoman Diane Farrell said the study is expected to verify the double-decker cars would be too costly and unfeasible for Metro-North Railroad’s New Haven Line. She said single-deck cars are needed now.
“Additional rail cars are needed now to meet existing demand, support any growth in ridership and help mitigate congestion in the I-95 corridor,” Farrell said in the letter.
The letter was endorsed last week by the South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, which represents lower Fairfield County’s eight towns.
The state Department of Transportation is conducting a study to determine whether double-decker rail cars could be a solution to overcrowded trains.
The double-decker cars can accommodate about 150 passengers; existing trains have a 110-passenger capacity. Double-decker cars are used on the Long Island Rail Road but have not been used by Metro-North because they do not fit under the 16-foot tunnels of Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
The DOT study is looking to determine whether double-decker cars can be modified to fit under the tunnels.
Farrell warned that any changes to the rail fleet could require costly infrastructure improvements that would have to be paid entirely by the state.
“Given the state’s current fiscal condition, it seems more prudent to invest in rail cars that are compatible with existing infrastructure than to significantly increase the cost of operating commuter rail in Connecticut by redesigning the fleet in such a way as to incur significant capital costs,” Farrell said.
Griebel said the strategy board is considering expanding commuter rail service in the state. He said the board is looking at recommendations to provide interim relief until other questions can be answered.
“There are several technological questions we need to answer that could prove to give us more bang for our buck,” Griebel said.
The state recently took delivery of four new diesel locomotives and 10 new coaches at a cost of $35 million. No more rail cars are on order and commuter advocates say the state needs to act fast because it takes six to eight years for delivery of new trains.
The state’s almost 350-car rail fleet is about 30 years old and, according to DOT figures, about 15 percent — 50 cars — are out of service daily for repairs.
“Obviously, time is of the essence in ordering new cars, given the lag time in getting them built,” said Jim Cameron, vice chairman of the Connecticut Metro-North-Shore Line East Rail Commuter Council. “In the long run, I think the bilevel cars might work. But we need cars desperately, and we need them now.”