Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Metro North Commuters Panicking Over End of Bar Car
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 21, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 21, 2010
Modified Apr 21, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
For years now, MTA officials have been trying to take away one of the last remaining "privileges" enjoyed by adults schlepping home from Grand Central on Metro North: Alcohol. First they tried to just ban booze, but backed down in the face of an outcry (and the fact that alcohol sales brought in $1 million profit for the MTA at the time). But with the introduction of a new fleet of 300 train cars to replace the 1970s-era models, it seems The Man is one step closer to wresting the bottle from riders on the New Haven line. Not a single new bar car has been built, and the old wood-paneled ones aren't compatible with the new fleet!
"A decision was made early on that more seats on the trains was our top priority and that bar cars—as popular as they are—could wait," said Judd Everhart, a spokesman for Connecticut’s department of transportation, tells the Times. "It was about that simple." It may be simple for the guy who doesn't commute back and forth to Manhattan every day, but tippling travelers in the trenches are tetchy. "It raises my anxiety level," says Tom Skinner, a marketing executive who, in his spare time, runs a website devoted to bar cars. "There’s always people trying to scuttle the bar cars. It’s just a fact of life."
"The commute is so bad as it is," chimed in Paul Hornung, a financial worker, as he sipped a Stella Artois. "This is the one thing you can look forward to." Which is a little sad, but we definitely relate. And what makes this news even more upsetting is that the designer of the new Metro North cars was actually contracted to design bar cars as well! His designs include "more space for group seating and a smaller, more streamlined bar to replace the current cramped setup."
But these bar cars of the future may never see the light of day, and Connecticut rail officials wouldn't even release images of the prototypes to the Times. We suppose they're worried that if the bar car crowd ever caught a glimpse of the new rolling saloon that was so senselessly denied, they'd surely riot. And who could blame them? A rush hour commute to Connecticut without a drop of alcoholic to silence the voices in your head is enough to rile anyone up.
Tagged
bar car
metro north
new haven
prohibition
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
Because the vote against it was unanimous, here are your early links: Jacket weather, swishing your Guinness, spooky decorations in North Jersey and more.
By
James Ramsay
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
A NYC judge brought his gun into court for an ‘experiment’. Now he’s censured.
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .