Connecticut will purchase 25 more trains than first planned for the Metro North’s New Haven line, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced in a Tuesday statement.
At a total cost of $93 million, the 25 new M-8 rail cars will come alongside 380 cars already on order to replace the line’s aging fleet. Connecticut will foot around two-thirds of the bill for the new cars, paying $60.5 million; New York will pay the rest.
“It makes far more economic sense to invest in new and much more reliable cars now, rather than trying to keep our aging fleet running for a few more years,” Malloy said in the statement, adding that he plans to ask the State Bond Commission to include the railcars on the agenda for their July 29 meeting.
The New Haven line serves 120,000 riders each day, making it one of the busiest commuter rail lines in the nation.