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LIRR to reduce gap at 8 stations

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

(Melville - WABC, October 18, 2006) (WABC) -- The Long Island Rail Road is taking action and closing those dangerous gaps between the platform and its trains.

Within the last few months, one person has been killed and dozens of others have been injured after falling through the openings.

The LIRR will now reduce the gap between trains and platforms at eight stations.

So far, the LIRR has already elevated the tracks at the Shea Stadium stop in Queens, and moved them as much as 4.5 inches toward the platform, according to a spokesperson for the LIRR. Now, similar changes will be made in at least seven other stations, including:

Jamaica

Deer Park

Hicksville

Huntington

Merillon Avenue

Mineola

New Hyde Park.

LIRR spokesman Susan McGowan: "These aren't necessarily the worst locations, but they're ones that in our measuring we have found to be out of compliance ... and we are able to get track access to them without disrupting service."

The report of the plan, published Wednesday in Newsday, comes just as the railroad was to present the preliminary results of its investigation into the gaps, which it concedes do not always meet its own standard of seven to eight inches.

The NTSB has been investigating the death of Minnesota teen Natalie Smead, who slipped through an almost foot-wide gap on August 5 and was struck by a train.

Officials say that even with the changes made at the Shea Stadium station, the LIRR was unable to meet its standards for the size of the gap because of the curve, officials add.

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