Metro-North riders looking for a drink after a long day's work will be out of luck after Friday.
The rail line says the four bar cars that have been operating for decades on the New Haven Line are being phased out like other old rail cars.
“Right now, we'll soon be without bar car service, but that doesn't mean a permanent end,” said Gov. Dannel Malloy.
According to Malloy, the state is negotiating with the company that makes the new M8 rail cars for Connecticut to see how much it would cost to either make new bar cars for the M8 trains or retrofit some of the existing M8 cars with bars. Right now, the older bar cars don't match up with the new M8 cars.
“I'm going to do them whatever way is the cheapest, so it's still an open question. I will honestly tell you the price is coming down, as we have expressed a willingness to have someone else do the retrofitting,” said Malloy.
There’s no time table for when those negotiations will be complete and when passengers could see new bar cars on the New Haven line.
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Some passengers aren’t concerned, however. They say they don't normally take advantage of the bar cars anyway.
“When I'm on the train, I just put my music in and relax. I don't really drink a lot,” said Donell Shaw.
For those who do like the bar car options, they can still have alcoholic beverages on board the trains, but they'll have to purchase them elsewhere.
