Metro North- New Haven line...

[yosefdov]

Greets...

Having to ride the Metro-North New Haven line daily, I put up with the God-Awful stenching toilet cars, packed trains (often short a car or two during rush hours, meaning standing for 45 minutes with arms pressed against my sides), and overall depressed, runned down, decrepit conditions of most of the trains (some cars are pushing 30+ years, beyond their "life expectency ratings"). 

In 2003 an MTA "spokesperson" said in a NY Times interview that they were aware of the cause of the toilet stench and had a solution... obviously, it failed.  Also, new cars are supposedly ordered, but I can't get a lock on the in-service date (it seems to keep changing).

 Does anyone have any "inside" news on this line, as to if/when improvements will be made?

I think that anyone who wants to be a "big shot" in transit should be required to ride various lines at various times just like a "normal" commuter.  I bet if the chairman of the MTA had to ride one of those toilet cars for 2 hours a day (or more! Trip from NH to NYC is about 2 hours each way), things would change REAL FAST!

 BTW-- former MTA chairman Peter Kalikow owns 27 Feraris, worth millions... something tells me he didn't ride public transportation very often...if ever...

Thanks.

 Joe

[daveklepper]

Where do you board and where do you exist and when?   There may be a soluton to your problem.   I udnerstand it will be year before the new cars arrive.

[Neil F.]

Since living along the LIRR, and know the ins and outs of the MTA, I'll give you the info.  The M8's will be delivered in '09 with the first to be in service in late '09.  The bathrooms in stations, and cars have been a known problem in MTA facilities, and as a matter of fact listening to the news, that has been addressed so many times, that still there is no improvements in both trains, and stations as far as the bathrooms been concerned.