HARTFORD, Conn. — The commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation says bar cars, once a popular feature on Metro-North’s New Haven Line, are unlikely to return any time soon.
Joseph Guilietti, the DOT commissioner and a former Metro-North president, told the Hartford Courant the bar cars would only be viable if an outside vendor was willing to invest in and operate them. “As the president of Metro-North Railroad, I was not in favor of the bar cars,” he said.
The cars last operated in 2014. Guilietti said another problem is that the rolling lounges don’t offer the seating capacity needed on the route, where riders frequently must stand during rush-hour commutes. He said Metro-North is looking at the possibility of bilevel cars to increase capacity.
