(Newsday posted the following article by Jennifer Maloney on its website on March 2.)
NEW YORK — A railroad industry group plans to tackle the gap issue and develop national safety standards within a year, shortcutting a federal review that could take much longer, transportation officials said.
The American Public Transportation Association – which represents bus, rapid transit and commuter rail systems – will assemble a task force including railroad and rider representatives, said Thomas Peacock, the association’s director of technical services.
The group hopes to hold its first meeting next month at the Long Island Rail Road headquarters, Peacock said. The LIRR already has agreed to participate.
The Federal Railroad Administration has given a green light to the industry group to tackle the issue, said administration spokesman Warren Flatau. Federal transportation officials stressed that the industry group’s task force would assist, but not replace, their own study.
Flatau said the industry group task force “may aid us in determining whether regulations or other federal actions are needed.”
The industry standards would require railroads to analyze their gaps and find methods to narrow gaps and reduce the number of gap incidents.
While industry standards cannot be enforced as strictly as federal regulations, they can be implemented much more quickly, officials from both groups said.
The Federal Railroad Administration’s study of platform gaps began after the death of Natalie Smead, who fell through a gap at the LIRR’s Woodside station in August. She was killed by a train when she tried to cross the tracks.
In January, the LIRR acknowledged that it had gaps wider than 10 inches on 32 platforms at 22 stations. Those gaps occur at 154 train door locations, LIRR Acting President Ray Kenny said.
The railroad has fixed or eliminated 92 of those 154 spots by narrowing gaps or keeping train doors closed, Kenny said.
Of the remaining 62 spots, he said, “We won’t eliminate all of them but our plan is to eliminate most of the remaining door locations.”