Cars are arranged as married pairs, where each car contains a complete set of controls for an engineer, conductor, or brakeman. However, the 'B' Cars (denoted by odd-numbered car designations) contain a handicapped accessiblerestroom, which is larger than the restroom provided on the M1 and M3 railcars and designed to accommodate a wheelchair, as well as an attendant and/or service animal (such as a guide dog, hearing dog or service dog) accompanying the passenger. The enlarged bathroom reduces the number of seats in the car.[7]
The M7 was built for the LIRR and Metro-North. Howerver, They have differences. Their most notable differences are the color schemes on the cab end of each car. Metro-North M7As have blue fronts with white stripes, while LIRR's M7s have black and yellow fronts. In addition, the Metro-North uses under-running third rails (with the train's third-rail shoes collecting electricity from the bottom of the third rail) inherited from the former New York Central Railroad, and the LIRR uses over-running third rails.[7] Metro-North's M7As are not equipped with illuminated number boards, while LIRR's M7s are. The Metro-North M7As were also used In the 2016 film The Girl on the Train.[8]
On April 19, 2021, the LIRR proposed equipping two pairs of M7 railcars with batteries for travel in diesel territory, pending feasibility studies.[9]
In late 1999, a contract was awarded to Bombardier for 836 LIRR M7s. Delivery began in early 2002, and test trains for the LIRR M7 began on the Ronkonkoma Branch. After several successful tests, LIRR M7 revenue service began on the Long Beach Branch on October 30, 2002, and Metro-North's first M7A started scheduled service in April 2004. All M7s were delivered by early 2007.
On February 3, 2015, an M7A train on Metro-North's Harlem Line was involved in a grade crossing collision with a car stopped on the tracks in Valhalla, New York. The driver of the car and six passengers were killed and at least fifteen were injured. Car 4333 was destroyed in the subsequent fire, and was eventually scrapped alongside with its mate 4332. [10]
On October 8, 2016, an M7 train on the Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson Branch sideswiped a work train near the New Hyde Park station. Multiple cars – 7033, 7034, and 7044 – were seriously damaged and eventually scrapped. Car 7043, which was 7044's mate, was initially stored but was later remated with car 7554 after that car lost its mate.
On January 4, 2017, an M7 train on the Long Island Rail Road's Atlantic Branch overshot a bumper at Atlantic Terminal's track 6. More than 100 people were injured. Car 7553 was seriously damaged in the collision after a broken rail pierced the underbody, creating a large hole and was eventually scrapped. Its mate 7554 was mated with car 7043, which also lost its mate.
On July 21, 2018, an M7 train stored in the Long Island Rail Road's West Side Yard derailed. Two cars, 7019 and 7364, were damaged and were stored as a source of spare parts.[11]
On February 26, 2019, an M7 train on the Long Island Rail Road's Ronkonkoma Branch struck a truck, causing the lead car to derail and strike the Westbury station platform. Car 7425 was seriously damaged as a result and is currently stored. Three people in the truck were killed, while there were no fatalities on the train. The individuals were fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle accident and went around lowered railroad crossing gates. Car 7426 was mated with car 7279 after the crash. [12]
On August 3, 2023, a Hempstead bound train derailed near Jamaica station.
Car 7054 had its front burned in a fire and was scrapped in 2023.[citation needed]
Early troubleshooting
The M7 cars swayed from side to side more than intended when introduced to service, and required modifications to reduce the sway. In late 2006 the MTA began a replacement of all M7 armrests after paying out over $100,000 to customers who filed complaints. The factory-installed armrests were notorious for slipping into trouser pockets and then tearing them when sitting. The new design is of a different profile and is coated in a more fabric-friendly rubber. Some passengers complained about having fewer seats per B car, a consequence of the larger ADA-compliant restrooms, and about the width of the seats. Metro-North's management received feedback about the M7, which influenced the development of the M8 railcars for the New Haven Line.
In the fall of 2006, the M7s started to experience serious braking problems due to foliage on the right-of-way, a condition known as "Slip-Slide." This caused nearly 2/3 of the Metro-North fleet to be taken out of service, due to flat spots on wheels. While the LIRR fleet performed significantly better, stripped M1s from both railroads were reactivated, and diminished schedules were instituted until the M7 fleet was able to resume full operation.
As of 2007[update], the fleet has the highest mean distance between failures out of the entire LIRR fleet. This partly had to do with the fleet's newness, and so the fleet often needed to be tested for reliability.[13]
An 8 car M7A prepares for departure at Ardsley-on-Hudson station, heading towards Croton–Harmon station just 6 stations away. Car 4146 is seen trailing, with 4309 and 4308 leading the train
