Metro-North, LIRR To Replace M-7 Armrests

[x635 4,066]

I thought this was supposed to happen a long time ago. I've witnessed the armrests catch and rip skirts and jackets.

Railroads want new armrests

NEW YORK— After hearing passengers gripe for years, the commuter railroads that serve Connecticut and Long Island want to replace thousands of train armrests that had a habit of tearing people’s pants pockets as they sat down.

Buying the 36,366 new armrests for railcars on the Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road will cost nearly $3.6 million, officials said.

The two transit lines have asked the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to approve a contract to acquire the replacements from the company that made the faulty seats.

Tearing the old armrests out and putting the new ones in will likely cost the railroads hundreds of thousands of dollars more in labor, and take until at least 2010.

Commuters may feel the cost is worth it.

Over the years, the two railroads have had to pay more than $100,000 to settle damage claims by riders whose clothing was damaged by the armrests, which were present only on some types of trains.

The replacement armrests are reportedly shorter, smoother, and less likely to slip unobserved into someone’s pockets.

[grantnet10 1]

The MTA is giving the same company that caused the problem millions of dollars to fix it. The seat manufacturer should be paying.

[Guest partyrock]

Why should they pay for it. The arm rest is not deffective. It just doesn't work for the configuaration of the trains. Its not like pices are popping off and snagging clothes. They just accepted delivery of a product that doesn't fit their needs.

[Monty 35]

Actually, I think it has been something you get used to. On the Hudson line there were people catching pockets on the seat rests all the time. Me included, I had a couple of pants that that happened to.

However, I don't recall seeing or hearing that in a long time. I think people have subconsciously adjusted the way they get in to and out of the seats.

Now, I think LIRR is more crowded so maybe it's harder on them than the Hudson Line. Maybe after the shorter armrests are installed there will be complaints about people's arms falling off the rests

[M' Ave 1,466]

The MTA is giving the same company that caused the problem millions of dollars to fix it.  The seat manufacturer should be paying.

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Bombardier built the train correctly. That is to say, they built it the way that the MTA spec'd it. They can't be held at fault for that.

That said, I've never had a problem with the arm rests, but if a lot of people have (to the tune of over a hundred grand) then it merits correction.