Metro-North track worker killed in Harlem

A Metro-North track worker was struck and killed by an oncoming train in East Harlem early Monday.

The employee, whom officials did not identify pending notifying family of the death, was working on elevated tracks near Park Avenue and East 106th St. when a Poughkeepsie-bound train hit the worker around 1 a.m.

The employee was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, but did not survive, according to reports. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed it was sending three investigators to New York City today to review the circumstances that caused the accident.

The incident is the latest in a series of fatal accidents along the Metro-North tracks and the second involving a track worker.

In May, a track foreman was hit and killed along the New Haven Line in West Haven, Conn. Two train derailments in the last year have also killed four passengers and injured at least 100 others.

Less than a week ago, the newly appointed Metro-North President, Joseph Giulietti, released a 100-day plan to restore  the rail’s safety. Key elements of the plan included promoting a culture of safety; adopting concrete safety enhancements, restoring reliable service and improving communications.

“Just one year ago, Metro-North was almost universally considered the best railroad in the United States,” Giulietti wrote March 3 in a letter to the Connecticut Department of Transportation commissioner. “My goal is to restore that reputation by providing excellent service delivered on a solid foundation of safety. It’s what our customers deserve. It’s what this region deserves. I won’t settle for less.”

Connecticut officials have criticized the report saying it lacked specific details. However, further details of the 100-day plan are pending final input from the Federal Railroad Administration and MTA Blue Ribbon Panel. Both, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board, have been investigating ways to improve the rail.