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The seven cars damaged in the wreck were nearly new M-8s — three were destroyed and must be replaced while four are undergoing major repairs, the Courant said. The New Haven Line, which has over 400 cars, is short those seven cars, even as ridership grows, the story said.
The three replacements will cost a total $10.95 million, or $3.65 million per car, and the repairs on the other four will cost $5.8 million, the state Department of Transportation told the Courant.
Over 75 people were injured in the crash, which occurred on May 17, 2013, in Bridgeport, just east of the Fairfield Metro station. An eastbound train that derailed due to a defective connection on the rails was clipped by a westbound train in the Friday afternoon rush-hour accident.
The derailment caused about $20 million in property damage, tearing up 1,000 feet of track and ripping down catenary wires, the Courant said.
Just last month, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved an order for another batch of new M8 rail cars for Connecticut, including the return of an old favorite: The Bar Car.
The order calls for at least 60 new cars and up to 94. The order also calls for at least 10 cafe, or bar cars in the order . This order will allow Metro-North to retire the final 36 M2 cars that are still in service.
Metro-North is the busiest commuter rail line in the country — and was even busier in 2015. The New Haven Line in Connecticut set an all-time ridership record of 40.3 million passenger trips last year.
Click here to read the story at the Hartford Courant website.
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