"New Haven & NJT on the Same Train?"
On the morning of September 9th, 2022, Metro-North Railroad's "LaserTrain" test train, with New Haven painted P32ACDM #229, heads east over "WALK Bridge" on the New Haven Line in Norwalk, CT. This test train consists of a Bombardier Comet III cab car (MNCW 5010) equipped with technology installed by Laser Precision Solutions (LPS) sandwiched within a normal "maxi-bomb" trainset. 5010 was originally purchased by Metro-North for West-of-Hudson service and was retired from the active roster in 2008 along with the rest of the Comet III fleet.
The LaserTrain is tasked with vaporizing leaf residue off of the rails throughout the system. During the fall season, leaves fall onto the tracks which cause slip slide conditions when run over by trains. Many railroads utilize rail washers for this issue but the Metro-North & LIRR have recently turned to this technology for the task. The LaserTrain is able to rid the rail of leaf residue without using water, while running at the railroad's maximum allowed speed (MAS) up to 75MPH.