Finally, the M-8 Cars are Rolling!

 After long delays and commuters' frustration, Metro-North's much-anticipated M-8 cars made their inaugural public run on the New Haven Line Tuesday.

A six-car train left Stamford at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday bound for Grand Central Terminal, where it was scheduled to arrive at 11:46 a.m.

The first M-8s, built by Kawasaki, were delivered to the railroad roughly a year behind schedule in December 2009 and have been in testing since.

The interiors of the cars were designed by Ridgefield's Cesar Vergara.

The six new M-8 cars that entered into service Tuesday morning arrived at Grand Central with no reported hitches.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy hailed the unveiling in a statement, calling it a milestone that underscored his "commitment to investing in public transportation and in Connecticut's economy."

"Our commuters have endured the existing fleet long enough and I thank them for their patience," Malloy said. "I am delighted to see these cars go into service and I commend the DOT, Metro-North and Kawasaki for all they have done to make this happen.”

“This testing took over one year to ensure that the M-8 will provide quality service for its 30 year life," Metro-North President Howard Permut said in a separate statement. "We plan to put more of these cars into service as soon as they complete individual quality assurance testing.”