Oct 18, 2006 7:42 am US/Eastern
LIRR Releases Study Of Train Gaps
Moving Tracks Closer To Platforms At Several Stations
by Tamsen Fadal
QUEENS (CBS) ―
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The LIRR is closing the gap at several of their stations by moving the tracks closer to the platform.
AP
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A sign warns of the gap between trains and platforms on the LIRR.
CBS
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Nihal Mehta says he fell through the LIRR platform gap at the Shea Station stop.
CBS
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Natalie Smead was killed after being hit by an LIRR train after falling at the Woodside station.
The LIRR said its making efforts to improve safety at their station platforms, and officials released a preliminary report of the problem today. It is now starting to fill the gaps by shifting tracks closer to the platforms, and has not stopped warning passengers of the gaps.
At the Shea Stadium station, 2,000 feet of track has been moved closer to the platform. Similar changes are planned at seven stations: New Hyde Park, Jamaica, Hicksville, Mineola, Merillon Avenue, Huntington, and Deer Park.
LIRR officials pointed out that these stations aren't necessarily the ones with the widest gaps, but still are wider than they should be.
It has studied the problem since 18-year old tourist Natalie Smead was killed after falling between the gap and a train at the Woodside stop on August 5.
The space between the platform and the train is reportedly supposed to be an average of seven to eight inches, but some gaps are actually as wide as 15 inches.
Among those who have fallen through, a four-year old little girl, former state senator Carol Berman, and at the Shea Stadium station a 29-year old Manhattan man who slipped while leaving a Mets gap.
He said the opening was at least 11 inches wide.
"I was actually leaving at the same time as the departure of a Mets game, so a lot of people were here. I wasn't looking where I was going. All of a sudden I just plummeted through a large gap in between the train at the platform," victim Nihal Mehta said.
Mehta's girlfriend, Joya Banerjee, explained, "As the train pulled up, you couldn't really see that there was an 11 inch gap between the platform. So we were getting on the train and there was a huge rush of people pushing and he fell right behind me."
LIRR officials have not said how long it will take to fix the stations, nor have they said which other stations will be repaired.
CBS 2 News learned of Mehta's story from one of our viewers. If you have a story to share, please e-mail
wcbstvwebteam@cbs.com.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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