The M2 is a series of 244 electric multiple unit

Multiple unit

The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...

 cars produced for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...

 and the Connecticut Department of Transportation

Connecticut Department of Transportation

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The current Commissioner of ConnDOT is Jeffrey Parker...

 for use on the New Haven Line

New Haven Line (Metro-North)

Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....

 (then part of Penn Central

Penn Central Transportation

The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...

, now part of Metro North

Metro-North Railroad

The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...

). Built primarily by the Budd Company

Budd Company

The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....

 in a consortium with General Electric

General Electric

General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

 and Canadian Vickers

Vickers

Vickers was a famous name in British engineering that existed through many companies from 1828 until 1999.-Early history:Vickers was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by the miller Edward Vickers and his father-in-law George Naylor in 1828. Naylor was a partner in the foundry Naylor &...

 between 1972 and 1977, the cars were initially branded as The Cosmopolitans. Final assembly of the M2 cars using Budd bodies was completed at GE's Transportation Division in Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

.

Both the model and brand name followed the pattern set up by the M1/M1A

M1/M3 (railcar)

The M1 and M3 are two similar series of electric multiple unit rail cars made by the Budd Company for the Long Island Rail Road, the Metro North Railroad and Metro North's predecessors, Penn Central and Conrail...

 series (The Metropolitans) in use on the Long Island Rail Road

Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...

 (M1) and on the Metro-North Hudson

Hudson Line (Metro-North)

Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...

 and Harlem

Harlem Line (Metro-North)

Metro-North's Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York & Harlem Railroad, is an 82-mile commuter rail line running north from New York City into eastern Dutchess County...

 lines (M1A), sisters to the Metro-North New Haven Line. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the M2 design was licensed by the MTA and ConnDOT to two other companies to produce followup series.

All cars are equipped with GE 1259 DC motors with a rated output of 162 hp on all axles.

M2 series

The M2 Cosmopolitan series replaced EMU cars dating from the early 1920s to 1954. These were originally manufactured for, and inherited from, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...

. As with the cousin M1 series, the M2s accompanied an overhaul of the long-neglected main line and the New Canaan Branch in which longer, high level platforms were introduced along with other infrastructure improvements.

Aside from the technical differences of the New Haven Line (electrification via overhead catenary instead of third rail), the cars are similar to the sister M1A order and, in times of equipment shortages or severe weather, the M2s have run on the Hudson and Harlem lines. Most of the other differences are in the interior and exterior appearance of the cars, such as red striping on the exterior rather than blue, the interior wallpaper having both the New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 and Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 state seals and the obvious pantograph and mechanical apparatus on the roof. Both the MTA and ConnDOT purchased bar car

Bar car

A bar car is a train car that has as its primary purpose the provision and consumption of alcoholic and other beverages.-In the United States:Bar cars were common during the heyday of U.S. rail travel prior to World War II...

s, but complaints from riders from stations in New York, coupled with arrival of new equipment on the Hudson and Harlem lines, led to the conversion of the ten MTA-owned bar cars to standard coaches. The ten ConnDOT-owned bar cars, which run on express trains to New Haven, Stamford, South Norwalk and New Canaan, remain in service during weekdays.

M4/M6 series

After the LIRR and Hudson/Harlem lines received an updated version of the original Metropolitan series of cars in 1984-86 (the LIRR M3 and Metro North M3A series), plans were announced for a similar undertaking on the New Haven Line. Originally, Budd was to produce these cars but pulled out in the wake of struggles that eventually led to the company's departure from railroad manufacturing.

After Budd stepped away from the order, the rights to the M1/M3 and M2 designs were transferred to the MTA. With these rights, MTA and ConnDOT eventually awarded the order to Tokyu Car

Tokyu Car Corporation

is a manufacturer of heavy rail cars in Japan. The company is based in Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama, Japan, and a member of Tokyu Group. Tokyu Car manufactures rail vehicles not only for Tokyu Corporation but for other Japanese operators, including various Japan Railways Group companies and...

 which produced 54 M4 cars (8900-series) in 1987-1988. Nearly identical to the M2s, Tokyu Car initially gave the "Triplex" brand name to the M4 cars to highlight their being a three-car set, as opposed to the married pairs of the M2s. These cars are now commonly referred to as "triplets" by railroad personnel.

In 1993 48 M6 series cars (9000-series) were produced by Morrison Knudsen. Nearly identical to the M4s and, these cars have the distinction of being one of the last with wholly American construction. The M6s also feature distinctive chimes that sound whenever the doors are closed, a feature that does not exist on the M2s or M4s. The M6s also have black framed windows, giving them the illusion of being larger than the windows on the M2s and M4s. The M6s are also commonly referred to as "triplets".

Retirement and replacement

At the start of the 21st Century, the original Cosmopolitans began to reach the end of their expected service lives, as they have traveled over 1 million miles in all types of harsh weather. It was then that the cars saw some of their most intense service as the combination of increased ridership and conflicts on funding between ConnDOT and former Governor John G. Rowland

John G. Rowland

John Grosvenor Rowland was the 86th Governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004; he is a member of the Republican Party. He is married to Patty Rowland, his second wife, and the couple have five children between them...

 delayed ConnDOT's ability to fund replacement cars.

With the replacement of Rowland by Governor M. Jodi Rell

M. Jodi Rell

Mary Jodi Rell is a Republican politician and was the 87th Governor of the U.S. state of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under Governor John G. Rowland, who resigned during a corruption investigation. Rell is Connecticut's second female Governor,...

 in 2004, the process for a replacement series was expedited. After an earlier deal in principle with Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

 fell through, Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Rolling Stock Company

is the rolling stock production division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since beginning operations in 1906, the company has produced more than 90,000 railroad vehicles.- Products :...

 was awarded a contract in July 2006 to produce the M8

M8 (railcar)

The M8 is an electric multiple unit railroad car built by Kawasaki for use on the New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad. It will replace the current fleet of 240 M2's which are nearing 40 years old and the 54 M4's which entered service in 1987.-Design:...

 series, expected to enter service in mid 2010. The 405 cars will be based on the M7/M7A series much as the M2s were based on the M1 series, though with some interior improvements and a different front end.http://img126.imageshack.us/my.php?image=m8industrialdesignexterior5sh.jpg An additional 25 cars are still on option. The M8 series will fully replace the M2/M4/M6 series by 2014.