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| NY Sen. Chucky wants passengers input in designing new LIRR's Kawasaki M-9 rail cars (1325675) | |||
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NY Sen. Chucky wants passengers input in designing new LIRR's Kawasaki M-9 rail cars |
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Posted by Gold_12th on Thu Nov 27 15:54:17 2014 For all the money and time they spend on the train each month, Long Island Rail Road commuters should be provided more amenities, and a more comfortable ride, Sen. Charles Schumer said Monday.Schumer (D-N.Y.) joined LIRR Commuter Council chairman Mark Epstein at a Farmingdale news conference to urge the LIRR to consider several new conveniences in its next generation of train cars, currently under design. They mentioned glare-resistant windows, wider seats and clearer audio announcements. "Whether it's sitting in the middle, crammed in a three-person row, or missing your stop because of muffled speakers, or ripping your pants on the arm rest . . . any of those things are enough to drive you crazy," Schumer said. "Long Island Rail Road customers pay the highest fares. They also deserve the highest quality ride. Now is the time to make that happen." The MTA last year approved a $1.8 billion contract with Yonkers-based Kawasaki Rail to build as many as 584 new electric cars for the LIRR and Metro-North. The cars are expected to join the LIRR's fleet by 2017, replacing the aging M-3 cars. In response to the calls, LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena said Monday that the LIRR has already planned some of the recommended improvements such as slightly wider seats, better arm rests, clearer audio and visual announcements, electrical outlets on all seat rows, and Wi-Fi readiness. Other recommendations may not be feasible, Arena said. For example, tinting train windows any darker could make it difficult for some customers to see station signs at night, he said. "The LIRR and Metro-North have always made customer input a key part of the process of developing new rail cars," Arena said. Schumer urged the LIRR to reach out to riders for ideas on amenities they'd like to see on new trains, including through an "online suggestion box" and customer surveys on trains. Arena said the LIRR already plans to conduct focus groups early next year on interior design choices for new trains. "Our dialogue with our customers will continue as we conduct our focus groups and analyze the results of those studies," Arena said. Epstein also Monday called on the LIRR to develop written guidelines on how long it will keep video footage recorded on new security cameras the railroad plans to install in most trains. https://www.newsday.com/long-island/charles-schumer-give-lirr-customers-input-into-design-of-new-rail-cars-1.9649827 |
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