(The following story by Jennifer Maloney appeared at Newsday.com on June 7.)
NEW YORK — Rider advocates said Thursday that the Long Island Rail Road has to communicate better with passengers — or they’ll jump.
During widespread delays Tuesday evening, a lack of announcements on one train maddened riders so much they discussed climbing out and walking to the nearest station, said LIRR Commuters Council member Maureen Michaels.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority inspector general in February began investigating the LIRR’s response to emergency situations after an incident in which riders on two trains became so frustrated they clambered onto the tracks. That investigation is continuing, a spokesman said.
During the Tuesday evening rush hour, riders on the Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay and Hempstead branches experienced delays of up to an hour after two trains broke down east of Jamaica.
Michaels took the 6:30 p.m. train from Penn Station to Huntington, which crawled at a snail’s pace, then stopped just short of Hicksville, she said.
One passenger was so enraged, he pounded on the conductor’s booth, then berated the conductor for not giving passengers more information about the delay, said Michaels, who witnessed the exchange. The conductor said he had been making announcements, but the passenger said they were not audible in his car, Michaels said.
Michaels, who raised the issue to MTA chief executive Elliot “Lee” Sander at a public meeting in Manhattan Thursday, said the conductor should have walked through the train reassuring customers, and given a more detailed explanation for the delay.
“In these situations, the conductors shouldn’t be locking themselves in their booths,” said Commuters Council Chairman Gerry Bringmann. “That’s what gets people upset.”
LIRR spokswoman Susan McGowan said that on Tuesday evening the railroad reminded conductors to make announcements about the delay.
Anthony Simon, general chairman of the conductors’ union, could not be reached last night. But after the February incident, he said conductors convey whatever information they’re given.
The LIRR also issued nine e-mail alerts to passengers, McGowan said.
Corey Zwerling, 25, of Westbury, who rode the 6:01 p.m. train from Penn Station to Westbury, said “the conductors were keeping us very informed.”
But others worried about the LIRR’s response in a real crisis.
“There was no communication other than to say there was a disabled train,” said Eileen Ryan of Huntington, who was delayed almost an hour on the 5:11 p.m. train from Hunterspoint Avenue to Port Jefferson. “It’s a very frustrating thing to be a commuter on Long Island Rail Road.”