Commuters’ Cocktail Hour Likely to Keep Rolling (on MN anyway)
May 31st 2007 08:13 am
The city banned cigarettes in bars, and the smokers trooped out to the sidewalk. Trans fats in restaurants were next, and the French fry addicts mostly shrugged. But since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that it was considering banning alcohol on commuter trains, it has been a different story. Bankers and brokers and blue-collar workers spoke out in defense of the tradition of a Scotch and soda or a cold Budweiser on the ride home to Huntington or Greenwich.
And the authority listened.
Should NJT restore bar car service?
- Yes: 20 (77%)
- No: 6 (23%)
Total Voters: 26
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Bob Scheurle responded on 31 May 2007 at 8:24 am #
I wonder how much profit MNRR/LIRR make on selling drinks. Maybe NJ Transit should restore the bar cars. Maybe tomorrow’s fare increase would have been a little lower if they had this other source of revenue.
Joe Versaggi responded on 31 May 2007 at 8:51 am #
Historically, the only LIRR department that makes money is Special Services: tours, club cars (extinct), Parlor Car East (now Hampton’s Reserve), and Bar Car(t)s.
Despite operating deficits in the 1960’s, the LIRR grew its Parlor car business to Montauk and Greenport by the acquisition of 40 heavyweight Pullman’s for scrap. They were replaced later in the decade by post-war sleepers. They in turn were replaced by a dozen coach conversions in the 1970’s, mostly from converted MU’s.
Despite protests from Suffolk County tavern owners in the early 1960’s, the LIRR converted 15 ex-B&M and MEC “American Flyer” coaches to bar cars. They were replaced by several newer coach conversions in the 1970’s.
Basically, repetitive low-cost investment produced small profits. The only thing that became politically incorrect under public ownership was to run Parlor Car-only trains. So the Cannon Ball got 4 coaches added in the late 1960’s.
With incompatible bi-level cars making the conversion of old cars into specialty cars impossible, we now have reserved seats and bar carts in regular coaches.
NJT is not the least bit interested in improving its bottom-line with special services, improving its operating efficiency, or cutting its over-time budget. As long as they reward the Legislature with a 5% fare hike every year, the Legislature will look the other way so long as operating subsidies stay frozen. They would not even bat an eyelash when NJT bought locomotives for casinos.
LRTADV responded on 31 May 2007 at 12:20 pm #
I don’t think the potential liability costs are worth the marginal profits earned from selling booze on a train. I would like to see some form of breakfast service in the morning or dinner service in the evening, but you would need private varnish for that in all probability.
John 76 responded on 31 May 2007 at 9:34 pm #
In 1978 I began riding Conrail from Waldwick to Hoboken. There was always a car that sold coffee in the morning and liquor in the evening. Shortly after NJT took over they announced they lost money on the service and abandoned it. Hoboken Terminal had then and still had in 1998 (when I stopped riding) a bar and a liquor store which sold individual drinks for the evening commute. That seems to me to be sufficient for the lines that run out of Hoboken. Also NJT does collect rent not only from the bar and liquor store but also from other retailers in the station.
E-44 responded on 04 Jun 2007 at 2:41 pm #
I wish it could get done with vending machines. A conventional beverage machine for beer and soda and a candy-type machine to dispense liquor miniatures. But the liability for access by underage drinkers or the lack of ability to cut off inebriated patrons outweighs any benefit automation could provide (short of a machine with a built-in breath-a-lyzer)
Joe Versaggi responded on 13 Jun 2007 at 1:10 pm #
July 2007 Trains magazine says Metro North earns a $700K/year profit on bar car sales and LIRR $350K. The 10 New Haven M-2 bar cars will be replaced by new M-8 models.