The Demise of the Bar Car

The Metro North rail line out of Grand Central Terminal has one of the last bar cars in the U.S., but railroad officials are replacing the aging cars and the bar car may be a victim of the budget.

1 minute read

April 22, 2010, 8:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Michael M. Grynbaum writes, "...with money tight, railroad officials said they could not yet commit themselves to a fresh set of bar cars, citing higher costs for the cars' custom design.

"They're being contemplated," said Joseph F. Marie, Connecticut's commissioner of transportation. "But we have not made any final decisions."

Defenders of the boozy commute say it helps raise revenue: After expenses, bar cars and platform vendors made $1.5 million last year, up from $1.3 million in 2008."

FULL STORY: One for the Road? Bar Cars May Face a Last Call

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 in The New York Times

Transportation New York Commuter Rail Bar Car

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