I remember asking my father a few years ago about why the train has low-tech trains and why the train had high-tech trains and my father said that my guess is that the train travels longer distances so they don't want to test new technologies on longer distance trains and that shorter distance trains are better to test new technologies on.
There should be a one seat ride from Penn Station to Grand Central to make it easier to transfer from LIRR to Metro North. How about extending the shuttle.