m8.jpg

The new edition of Metro-North mouthpiece Mileposts, on seats this morning, has an italicized sentence buried fairly deep in a story about the railroad’s 94% customer satisfaction rating.

“The arrival of our M8s next year should improve your experience–and our ratings,” it reads, by way of an explanation as to why the beleaugered New Haven Line lagged well behind the others in terms of satisfaction. 

So the M8s–headrests, nice bathrooms, electrical outlets–won’t arrive until next year. I was under the impression they were to be ushered in this year. Why did I think that?

Well, almost exactly a year ago, then MNR president Peter A. Cannito said in a statement:

“Seeing a mock-up of the M-8 car has shown us that the dream of a new commuter rail car on the New Haven line is becoming a reality.  Although we are still more than a year away from seeing the prototype cars in operation in this country…”

Later on in that release, Metro-North stated: 

…with plans for delivery of the first M-8 prototype rail car in late 2009. After that, the production schedule calls for the delivery of 10 cars per month. 

No less a journal of record than the New York Times had the M8 start date in 2009 as well. From June 2008:

The new car is known as the M8 and it will begin to show up on Metro-North’s New Haven line late next year, replacing cars that are as much as 35 years old.

Perhaps I’m wrong, but I take “delivery of the first M8 prototype” to mean, ya know, up and running. Because you wouldn’t deliver a completed, functional car, then make riders sit on crappy, stankin’ 35-year-old cars. Would you? 

Our blogging brethren StationStops has some of the best M8 video you’ll ever find here.

UPDATE: Metro-North spokesperson says: “Only the first eight pilot cars will arrive this year for acceptance testing.  The production cars will begin delivery next spring.”

I (TJ)  understand this to mean a small batch of the M8s will be tested on the tracks and used for employee training, and won’t carry actual riders until well into 2010.