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A bar car is a
Passenger Train - CN Turbo Train and Rapido Trains (YouTube)
/ref> Contemporary services on
Daily schedule for trains with bar cars on the Metro-North New Haven bound line
Barcar.com
- fan site
Inside Metro-North M2 barcar
Passenger railroad cars Metro-North Railroad {{rail-transport-stub
A bar car is a train car
A railroad car, railcar ( American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is ...
that has as its primary purpose the provision and consumption of alcoholic
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
and other beverages
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies ...
.
In the United States
Bar cars were common during the heyday of U.S. rail travel prior to World War II. However, since May 2014 there are no bar cars left (not includingAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
's full-service dining cars, lounges and café cars).
Former services
Metro-North Railroad has replaced the 1970s-era cars now used by commuters from Manhattan to Connecticut, with the new M-8 cars rolled out between 2010 and 2015. The M-8 was designed by Cesar Vergara, a train designer fromRidgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the 300-year-old community had a population of 25,033 at the 2020 census. The town center, which was formerly a borough ...
, who also provided a design for a modern bar car. The last bar cars were retired in May 2014.
Formerly, a bar car service (officially, "refreshment car") ran on 3 of Chicago's Metra
Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. ...
lines:
the Milwaukee District/North Line, the Milwaukee District/West Line, and the Rock Island District
The Rock Island District (RI) is a Metra commuter rail line from Chicago, Illinois, southwest to Joliet. Metra does not refer to its lines by color, but the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are "Rocket Red" in honor of the Ch ...
line. The last service was on August 29, 2008, when the last contracts expired.
10 Comet I bar cars were built in 1970 for the Erie Lackawanna
The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route" ...
and were used for AM coffee service and PM bar service on diesel trains based from Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is a commuter-oriented intermodal passenger station in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey. One of the New York metropolitan area's major transportation hubs, it is served by nine NJ Transit (NJT) commuter rail lines, one Metr ...
into the 1980s. The bar cars were converted to standard coaches when rebuilt in 1987.
In Canada
Canadian National Railways's Rapido service from Toronto to Montreal, for a brief time during the late 1960s and 1970s, had what was known as a "Bistro" car. In the "Bistro" car, piano entertainment accompanied the service of alcohol beverage in special coaches configured for the purpose with their windows obscured to prevent platform patrons from observing the festivities and to create a low light environment./ref> Contemporary services on
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
include complimentary unlimited alcoholic beverages served at your seat in Business Class on Corridor trains. Alcoholic beverages are available for at-seat purchase/service in Economy Class on all remote services trains. On long-distance trains such as The Canadian
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
and The Ocean, alcoholic beverages are available for purchase in the Skyline, Park, and Dining Cars. Service to Prestige Class passengers is complimentary.
See also
* SpårakoffReferences
External links
Daily schedule for trains with bar cars on the Metro-North New Haven bound line
Barcar.com
- fan site
Inside Metro-North M2 barcar
Passenger railroad cars Metro-North Railroad {{rail-transport-stub