# Kawasaki M-8 Trainset on Revenue Service on Metro North



## Paul Dow (Mar 1, 2011)

The first trainset of Kawasaki M-8 cars went into service this morning out of Stamford to GCT, and at this time it should be back in Stamford.

I haven't seen any news reports on rider opinions yet, just adjustments to the press release on other news sites.

http://www.mta.info/news/stories/?story=196


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## AlanB (Mar 1, 2011)

I actually saw the trainset yesterday in New Haven from Acela 2171, although I didn't realize it was doing a revenue run, I just assumed it was out testing. Didn't have time to snap a picture though.


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## Train2104 (Mar 1, 2011)

AlanB said:


> I actually saw the trainset yesterday in New Haven from Acela 2171, although I didn't realize it was doing a revenue run, I just assumed it was out testing. Didn't have time to snap a picture though.


Yesterday it was not in revenue service.


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## Dutchrailnut (Mar 1, 2011)

correct it went in service this morning so yesterday it was NOT in service...


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## OlympianHiawatha (Mar 1, 2011)

WNBC New York did a quick story on these tonight (Tuesday) and they look nice. The riders seemed happy so far.


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## Acela150 (Mar 2, 2011)

I watched the video that the MTA put up on the M8's. I would disagree with this fella's statement that they are the top Commuter car in the US. I've had the chance to ride the Silverliner V's for Septa and see the M8's and compared I'd side with the V's. The automated announcements are great. One when you leave the station before the next and a little bit of a warning before you arrive the next station. The exterior signs are great and can't be beat! But the builder was a poor choice! The project is a year behind and currently Septa has about 8 V's on property with 5 In service. 3 testing. Hyundai Rotem "claim" to be able to put out 9 cars a month. In a article put in the inquire on Monday employees were quoted as saying "We get poor pay. When we find one thing wrong with the cars we have to go back about 10-15 cars to fix the problem. We've been sexually harassed by the Koreans. They have no respect for us." I've been down to the plant in South Philly once a week. If Hyundai Rotem IS putting out 9 cars a month then their doing it inside and not testing the cars on the test track. It was leaked that they test the cars on Friday between 2 and 4. So I head down there to check it out. NOTHING! It was also quoted in the article that Septa has paid Hyundai Rotem $71 Million for the 8 cars they have now. According to contract for each day Rotem is late Septa doesn't have to pay $200 for each car. So right now were down to 112 cars out of 120. The total of the project is to hit $330 million included in this are training and other factors. Ugh war or the railcars! :lol:


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## Nexis4Jersey (Mar 2, 2011)

Acela150 said:


> I watched the video that the MTA put up on the M8's. I would disagree with this fella's statement that they are the top Commuter car in the US. I've had the chance to ride the Silverliner V's for Septa and see the M8's and compared I'd side with the V's. The automated announcements are great. One when you leave the station before the next and a little bit of a warning before you arrive the next station. The exterior signs are great and can't be beat! But the builder was a poor choice! The project is a year behind and currently Septa has about 8 V's on property with 5 In service. 3 testing. Hyundai Rotem "claim" to be able to put out 9 cars a month. In a article put in the inquire on Monday employees were quoted as saying "We get poor pay. When we find one thing wrong with the cars we have to go back about 10-15 cars to fix the problem. We've been sexually harassed by the Koreans. They have no respect for us." I've been down to the plant in South Philly once a week. If Hyundai Rotem IS putting out 9 cars a month then their doing it inside and not testing the cars on the test track. It was leaked that they test the cars on Friday between 2 and 4. So I head down there to check it out. NOTHING! It was also quoted in the article that Septa has paid Hyundai Rotem $71 Million for the 8 cars they have now. According to contract for each day Rotem is late Septa doesn't have to pay $200 for each car. So right now were down to 112 cars out of 120. The total of the project is to hit $330 million included in this are training and other factors. Ugh war or the railcars! :lol:


Its a shame NJT isn't getting New Arrows , we would had the best fleet...


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## Acela150 (Mar 2, 2011)

Nexis4Jersey said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > I watched the video that the MTA put up on the M8's. I would disagree with this fella's statement that they are the top Commuter car in the US. I've had the chance to ride the Silverliner V's for Septa and see the M8's and compared I'd side with the V's. The automated announcements are great. One when you leave the station before the next and a little bit of a warning before you arrive the next station. The exterior signs are great and can't be beat! But the builder was a poor choice! The project is a year behind and currently Septa has about 8 V's on property with 5 In service. 3 testing. Hyundai Rotem "claim" to be able to put out 9 cars a month. In a article put in the inquire on Monday employees were quoted as saying "We get poor pay. When we find one thing wrong with the cars we have to go back about 10-15 cars to fix the problem. We've been sexually harassed by the Koreans. They have no respect for us." I've been down to the plant in South Philly once a week. If Hyundai Rotem IS putting out 9 cars a month then their doing it inside and not testing the cars on the test track. It was leaked that they test the cars on Friday between 2 and 4. So I head down there to check it out. NOTHING! It was also quoted in the article that Septa has paid Hyundai Rotem $71 Million for the 8 cars they have now. According to contract for each day Rotem is late Septa doesn't have to pay $200 for each car. So right now were down to 112 cars out of 120. The total of the project is to hit $330 million included in this are training and other factors. Ugh war or the railcars! :lol:
> ...


You can confirm this? :blink: :unsure:


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## jis (Mar 2, 2011)

Acela150 said:


> Nexis4Jersey said:
> 
> 
> > Its a shame NJT isn't getting New Arrows , we would had the best fleet...
> ...


The answer to the question about whether NJT will order new EMUs is not is not a settled one yet. Although, even if it gets new ones it will be of the order of less than 200 cars and they will certainly not be deployed on all routes. Most trains will still be MLV push-pulls.


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## Acela150 (Mar 2, 2011)

jis said:


> Acela150 said:
> 
> 
> > Nexis4Jersey said:
> ...


Ok that's a better answer! :lol: I think the bottom line is only NJT knows.


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## Green Maned Lion (Mar 2, 2011)

I doubt even NJT knows. Maybe Weinstein does. but I doubt it. If you chopped his head off with an axe, he wouldn't be any dumber.


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## Acela150 (Mar 3, 2011)

Good point GML. EMU's will be a mystery at NJT for quite a while!


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## Nexis4Jersey (Mar 3, 2011)

I think we need to expand Electrification in this state to the Main/Bergen and PVL....then we could buy the New Arrows for those lines. The peak Ridership of those lines would be around 12-20,000 by the end of the decade per line. Why isn't NJT planning on Electrifying the MOM network which the county puts ridership at 120,000.... Why does everything at NJT take so long?


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## Green Maned Lion (Mar 3, 2011)

Nexis4Jersey said:


> I think we need to expand Electrification in this state to the Main/Bergen and PVL....then we could buy the New Arrows for those lines. The peak Ridership of those lines would be around 12-20,000 by the end of the decade per line. Why isn't NJT planning on Electrifying the MOM network which the county puts ridership at 120,000.... Why does everything at NJT take so long?


... Could you tell me why you like to think 3 steps ahead of the game?

First of all, MOM, or more accurately, MO, is not funded. Building it at all would be an accomplishment, and I don't think it is going to be accomplished within my lifetime. Forget about electrics, we aren't getting diesels on that route.

Second, electrifying the PVL and M/B lines would be completely pointless without turning Lautenbergs tomb from a Transfer into an actual junction, presumably involving a huge loop track at a billion bucks or so. If they are running into Hoboken, there is no point in electrifying them. Neither line gets sufficiently hilly to bother with electrification south of the New York border. North of that border, it is Metro-North's railroad and Metro-North's problem.

New Arrows are an on-again, off-again thing that will likely never happen. Excluding the Arrow III cars, which NJT would love to consign to the scrap heap once and for all, all of NJT's line is engine hauled, unheard of for a close stop electrified commuter line. All other such systems (Septa, LIRR, MNCR, MetraElectric and NICTD) use multiple units. The reason is that the Mickey Mouse Club's culture is to not bother servicing the cars properly. A real problem when they are also your power.

We currently have inadequate service on the Montclair Boonton and North Jersey Coast Line all week long. Montclair Boonton doesn't even have adequate weekend service, for gods sake. Gladstone isn't properly served. Gladstone, NJCL, Morristown, and Montclair-Boonton should be getting a minimum of 30 minute service all day long, every day.

Investing in huge capital projects for a railroad that totally underutilizes its equipment, personnel, stations, and signaling as it currently stands is downright stupid. When NJTransit makes less than 30% of its off-peak train movements dark, we can start talking, maybe, about things like electrification.


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## DET63 (Mar 9, 2011)

*Kawasaki M-8 Trainset on Revenue Service on Metro North *







Kawasaki M-8 cars

Kawaski lets the good times roll!


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