Mafersa coaches

Mafersa Coach

A consist of Mafersa coaches leaving Old Saybrook station in 2018

Interior of a CTDOT coach on Shore Line East service in 2018

Manufacturer| Mafersa
Constructed| 1991–1992
Entered service| 1992
Number built| 38
Operators|

* CT Rail
* QIT-Fer et Titane

Lines served| Hartford Line from New Haven to Springfield
Specifications
Car body construction| Stainless steel
Car length| 85.3 feet (26.0 m)[1]
Width| 10 feet (3.0 m)[1]
Height| 13.29 feet (4.05 m)[1]
Floor height| 51.5 inches (1,310 mm)
Doors| 2 pairs end doors, manual operation
Maximum speed| 90 miles per hour (140 km/h)
Power supply| 480 V AC
Coupling system| AAR type H
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Mafersa coaches are a class of 38 passenger railroad cars built by Brazilian manufacturer Mafersa. Originally built for Virginia Railway Express (VRE) in 1991–92, they are currently operated by Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) for CT Rail service and by QIT-Fer et Titane.

## History

[edit]

Mafersa built the coaches new for VRE for $24.7 million.[2] VRE sold 33 of the coaches to CTDOT in 2004 for its Shore Line East service.[3] QIT-Fer et Titane, a Quebec mining company, purchased the remaining five cars in 2008.[4] The CTDOT cars were used for Shore Line East service until 2022, then moved to Hartford Line service.[5]

In August 2023, CTDOT approved a contract with Alstom for 60 single-level passenger cars, which will replace the Mafersa coaches in Hartford Line service (as well as Shoreliner cars on other lines) beginning in 2026.[6][7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c The 1997 Car and Locomotive Cyclopedia. ISBN 0-911382-20-8.
2. ^ Middleton, William D. (1994). North American commuter rail 1994. Pasadena, CA: Pentrex. p. 16\. OCLC 32665882.
3. ^ "Connecticut State Rail Plan 2012-2016" (PDF). Connecticut Department of Transportation. 2012. pp. 37, 238. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
4. ^ Taube, Richard K. (11 August 2008). "Chronology of the Virginia Railway Express: 1964 to Present" (PDF). Virginia Railway Express. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
5. ^ Hartley, Scott A. (May 24, 2022). "Connecticut replaces diesel Shore Line East trains with electric multiple-unit equipment". Trains magazine.
6. ^ "Alstom to supply 60 single-level coach cars to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for its statewide rail system" (Press release). Alstom. August 9, 2023.
7. ^ "Governor Lamont Announces Purchase of 60 New Rail Cars to Modernize Commuter Rail Lines" (Press release). Connecticut Department of Transportation. August 9, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Mafersa coaches at Wikimedia Commons

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CT Rail

Stations|

| Hartford Line|

* Springfield
* Enfield
* Windsor Locks
* Windsor
* Hartford
* West Hartford
* Newington
* Berlin
* Meriden
* Wallingford
* North Haven
* New Haven State Street
* New Haven Union Station

|

Shore Line East|

* New London
* Niantic
* Old Saybrook
* Westbrook
* Clinton
* Madison
* Guilford
* Branford
* New Haven State Street
* New Haven Union Station

Rolling stock|

| Current|

| Locomotives|

* GE P40DC
* EMD GP40-3H

|

Coaches|

* Mafersa

Multiple units|

* Kawasaki M8

Retired|

| Locomotives|

* EMD F7
* EMD GP38
* EMD GP7

|

Coaches|

* Ex-PATrain coaches
* Shoreliner III
* Constitution Liners
* MBB-3

Infrastructure|

* New Haven–Springfield Line (Amtrak)
* Northeast Corridor (Amtrak and CTDOT)

Affiliations|

Connecticut Department of Transportation
Operators
Amtrak
TransitAmerica Services/Alternate Concepts

Italics indicate future stations
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