Bar cars are returning to commuter trains running between Manhattan and Connecticut after a two-year hiatus, restoring a tradition dating back some 50 years, to the delight of many commuters.
Democratic Connecticut Goveernor Dannel P. Malloy announced Tuesday that the state will buy an additional 60 cars for Metro-North's New Haven Line, and 10 of them will be converted into bar cars under current plans.
Bar cars were retired in 2014 because they could not be coupled to a new fleet of train cars. The cars had faux-wood paneling and red leather lounges that some riders say evoked a 1960s "Mad Men" vibe of martini gatherings.
Malloy says the New Haven Line remains the country's busiest commuter rail line. The service carried more than 40 million passengers last year.