Say Goodbye to the Last Bar Car in America

New York's Metro-North line was home to the last commuter train bar cars in America, but sadly, for the sophisticated drinker, the remaining four cars will be taken out of service this week.

New York's Metro-North line was home to the last commuter train bar cars in America, but sadly, for the sophisticated drinker, the remaining four cars will be taken out of service this week. While Amtrak does have dining cars where you can purchase beverages, these were the last cars dedicated purely to the often much needed after-work drink.

The bar cars ran on the New Haven line, catering to the New York-to-Connecticut business commuters, and were definitely a relic from the past. Even today they were outfitted with bright orange and yellow drink holders, "wood" paneling, and wallpaper left over from the 1970s. (They were originally built in 1973.) The Connecticut Department of Transportation decided to take them out of commission because they were not producing enough income, and the commuter rail preferred to use the space for additional seating. 

While the bar cars lacked the sleekness of the new commuter rail trains, they did have a cult following. There was a Twitter and blog dedicated to hunting down the cars. If fact, there is a chance the cars will be revived with the introduction of new train cars. Judd Everhart, the Connecticut Department of Transportation communications director, told PIX11, "We are considering retrofitting six or 10 of them into bar cars and have also asked the manufacturer, Kawasaki, to give us an estimate if we decide to have them make the bar cars. But there is no funding currently in place to do either option.”

If that doesn't work out, there's always the BYOB option.