Connecticut's train riders apparently like to unwind with a drink on their daily commute.
A survey done by the Connecticut Metro North Rail Commuter Council shows the vast majority of Metro North passengers want a little booze on their caboose
Eighty-two percent of those surveyed said they use bar cars on the trains when offered, and 90 percent said they want to see bar car service expanded on Metro North.
The survey was conducted as part of a plan to redesign some of the new M8 rail cars purchased by the state as bar cars.
Of the riders who have seen designs for the new bar cars, 80 percent said they thought the designs offered the right amount of seating. Fifty-nine percent liked the proposed small booths, but 49 percent said they would like a counter for laptop computers.
Right now, Metro North has ten bar cars in service on the New Haven line. They are the only cars of their type on a commuter rail line in the United States, according to the Commuter Council.
The Council will now take the survey results to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Local
"We'll share the results with the CT DOT in hopes that they'll incorporate the ideas in the design of the new M8 bar cars," said Connecticut Rail Commuter Council Vice Chair Terri Cronin.
The Council is made up of train commuters appointed by the state legislature and Gov. M. Jodi Rell to act as a watchdog group keeping its eye on the rail industry in Connecticut.
