Mafersa coaches

The Mafersa coaches are a class of 38 passenger railroad cars built by Brazilian manufacturer Mafersa. Originally built for Virginia Railway Express, they are currently operated by Connecticut Department of Transportation and QIT-Fer et Titane.

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
ManufacturerMafersa
Constructed1991–1992
Entered service1992
Number built38
Operator(s)
Line(s) servedHartford Line from New Haven to Springfield
Specifications
Car body constructionStainless steel
Car length85.3 feet (26.0 m)[1]
Width10 feet (3.0 m)[1]
Height13.29 feet (4.05 m)[1]
Floor height51.5 inches (1,310 mm)
Doors2 pairs end doors, manual operation
Maximum speed90 miles per hour (140 km/h)
Power supply480 V AC
Coupling systemAAR type H
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

History

Mafersa built the coaches new for the Virginia Railway Express at $24.7 million.[2] VRE sold 33 of the coaches to the Connecticut Department of Transportation 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]

Routes served

In Connecticut, Mafersa coaches are used by CT Rail on their Hartford Line service. They are operated from New Haven, Connecticut, to Springfield, Massachusetts. These cars were previously used in Shore Line East service, but when Kawasaki M8s took over service on the line, they were moved to the Hartford Line.

References
  1. 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. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  4. Taube, Richard K. (11 August 2008). "Chronology of the Virginia Railway Express: 1964 to Present" (PDF). Virginia Railway Express. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
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