News

NEW YORK, NY May 01, 2007 —Subway track work remains temporarily suspended while New York City Transit investigates the death of one track worker and the injury of another on Sunday, after they were struck by a G train. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

The 6,000 track and signal workers are getting a refresher course in safety. New York City Transit president Howard Roberts wouldn't comment on the investigation of Sunday's incident because, he said, it's too soon to know whether the workers did anything wrong. He also said he would have suspended maintenance after a track worker was killed last week, had he known there would be another deadly accident.

The two men who were struck by a G train were upgrading the neighboring A and C train tracks. The transit authority requires anyone working on active tracks to use lanterns, but not if they're just crossing or walking alongside a track. They do, however, have flashlights and wear reflective vests. Meanwhile, track workers say they want more communication and coordination with control rooms and train operators. They also claim there's pressure to finish jobs quickly. For WNYC, I'm Beth Fertig.