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Welcome Aboard the New M7 Cars!

M7s

The first of our new M7s are in service, and they are indeed technologically superior - not to mention good looking.

Naturally, the first thing you will notice is the interior. We spent a lot of time on a design that would be appealing to you. We also brought in customers to give us input during the design process. This teamwork brought you the car you are sitting in today.

The color scheme of the interior is a soothing gray and blue. The windows are a third larger than those on our other cars. There is also better, brighter interior lighting, which will make reading our customer publications, those draft legal briefs or the latest trashy novel a lot easier.

Automated announcements can be heard inside and outside the car. Text displays over the vestibule area mirror the announcements. The newest communication feature in the M7 car, however, does not augment our ability to talk to you. We have designed an intercom system that, for the first time, enables you to reach the train crew in an emergency.

And finally, let us describe the features everyone's been holding their breath about--bathrooms and seats. The M7s feature "new generation" vacuum toilets that completely remove and isolate waste in separate holding tanks. That means no unpleasant odors, so you can breathe easy. Also, you can see that the seats in the M7s look completely different from those in our older electric cars. They have ergonomically designed high-backed bucket seats with headrests. Leaning back to "rest your eyes" -- especially in the aisle seat of a three-seater -- has never been easier!

You may have heard that the seats are narrower than our other cars. That's true; each seat is approximately 1/4 inch narrower. There are also fewer seats inside the M7. We didn't reduce seats to make you uncomfortable. We designed these cars with the utmost reliability in mind. That meant we had to reposition certain critical components to ensure reliability. As a result, most of the sensitive electrical components are located inside the M7. And those that aren't, are well protected.

There have been other improvements to increase reliability, too. Let's take traction motors. There are four of them turning the wheels on each car. When one motor fails, the others automatically shut down. The rest of the train has to drag the "dead weight," slowing your commute. On the M7, each pair of traction motors operates independently. In the rare event one traction motor malfunctions, the train can continue on to its destination, and, more importantly, so do you.

We've also "doubled up" on re-engineering some of the car's important components. There are "redundant" (or back-up) systems that power the lights, air circulation, heating... How does it work? Take for example, the M7's air-conditioning system. Instead of one major air-conditioning unit for each train car, the M7s are built with two. If one unit fails, the other unit kicks in to keep you cool. Thanks to the wonders of the M7s' modular design, the faulty component can be quickly removed for easy repair "off line." The car stays in service -- and fully functional -- while the component is fixed.

Of course, the M7s are accessible to those with disabilities and comply with all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are places for wheelchairs aboard the trains, and even the new, extra-large bathrooms.

So sit down and enjoy the view and the ride. We hope you like commuting on the M7s as much as our engineers enjoyed designing them for you.

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