New York: passengers rarely fall into the gap between the train and the platform

The number of accidents involving people falling into the gap between the train and the platform has decreased by 80% over the past 8 years, representatives of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority; MTA reported.

In 2014, there were 34-like incidents at stations on the Long Island Railway, which is 33% less than in 2013 and 80,5% less when compared to 2007 the year when the railway began to take steps to reduce such accidents.

In 2007, passengers fell through the gap between the train and the platform 175 times. A year earlier - in August 2006 - a tragedy occurred that attracted the attention of the New York media and the public to the problem.

18-year-old Nathalie Smid from Minnesota fell into a slot at Woodside station (Queens). The girl tried to crawl out of the tracks on her own, but died under the wheels of the train.

Robert Sullivan, a lawyer from Garden City, Long Island, represented the victim’s family during a lawsuit with the New York City Transportation Authority. The trial lasted about one and a half years, after which in 2009, compensation was paid to the relatives of the girl’s dead, the amount of which was not disclosed.

Shortly after the death of Nathalie Smid, Newsday journalists conducted a study of the safety of railway stations and concluded that the distance between the train and the platform in 38% exceeds the allowable. So, at Siocset it reached 15 inches (about 38 cm).

Since then, the leadership of the Long Island Railroad has directed more than 37 million dollars to re-equip platforms and trains. 32 miles of coverage were added to the station platforms to reduce the size of the slots. Work took place at 126 stations. All 1200 trains of the railway were also refitted, metal plates next to the doors were added to them to reduce the gap size to a minimum.

As time has shown, these measures have been effective.