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Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today released an audit of Metro-North Railroad stations operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) finding poor and potentially dangerous conditions due to a lack of protective caps and sleeve covers on third rails.

“Exposed third rails were found at 11 of 14 Metro-North stations examined by my office. These uncovered rails run the risk of contact with high voltage electricity and create hazardous conditions for riders,” Thompson said. “The MTA must take immediate actions to replace the missing caps and sleeve covers to ensure the safety and security of Metro-North customers.”

Thompson added: “The audit identified two stations – Grand Central Terminal and Fordham – that were not maintained as well as they should be and are in need of repairs. Auditors found broken windows, metal protruding from platforms, holes in ceilings, cracked and missing platform edges, crumbling concrete, peeling paint, litter and graffiti. MTA customers should not have to deal with these conditions.”

Metro-North operates 120 passenger stations and 14 are located within New York City’s boundaries.

The Comptroller’s review of the 14 Metro-North stations found:

• Poor conditions at two stations – Grand Central Terminal and Fordham.
o The problems at Grand Central Terminal include: a circuit breaker box on Track 38 platform with no cover; water that leaked from the ceiling pipes onto 17 different platforms; loose, cracked and missing platform edges; metal protruding through platform 11; raised and bent expansion joints on the platforms; cracked and broken window glass panes in some doors; peeling paint from columns; a missing handrail at Track 23 and a broken handrail at Track 30; a third-rail cap missing on Track 28; missing and broken floor tiles; a large hole in the ceiling of the Stationmaster’s Office waiting room; uncollected litter; and, graffiti.
o The problems at Fordham Station include: missing third-rail cap sleeves; broken and crumbling concrete by the staircase on the northbound platform that exposed large holes and a metal rod; uncollected litter; peeling paint and rotted wood from the ceiling of the ticket office building; peeling paint from the support beams of the canopy on the northbound platform; and, metal chairs in the front of the northbound platform that were loose and not properly secured.

• Good conditions with minor problems at nine stations – Harlem 125th Street, Botanical Garden, Williams Bridge, Woodlawn, Morris Heights, University Heights, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale.

• Capital renovations were being conducted at three stations – Melrose, Tremont and Wakefield. Therefore, those stations were not reviewed.

Although Thompson’s audit rated nine stations as fairly good, each must replace the missing protective caps and sleeve covers on third-rails to prevent possible contact with high-voltage electricity. Overall, the following 11 stations had exposed third-rails: Grand Central Terminal, Harlem – 125th Street, Fordham, Botanical Garden, Williams Bridge, Woodlawn, Morris Heights, University Heights, Marble Hill, Spuyten Duyvil, and Riverdale.

New York State law requires that the City reimburse the MTA for the cost of maintenance, use and operation of passenger stations within each local government’s boundaries.

This is the third audit during Thompson’s tenure to assess conditions at Metro-North stations. The other audits in 2002 and 2003 found that three stations on the Harlem Line – Tremont, Wakefield and Fordham – were not properly maintained and in need of repair. Currently, Fordham is the only station with similar problems reported in a previous audit.

Thompson’s new audit, which covered April 1, 2004 to March 7, 2006, showed that the MTA billed the City $73,879,843 for operation, maintenance and use of commuter passenger stations for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro North Railroad from April 2004 to March 2005. Thompson today issued another audit and news release about the LIRR Stations.

Additionally, the Comptroller’s audit shows that Metro-North neglected to address issues identified by its Customer and Operations Services Department, such as uncollected litter at the Botanical Garden station, and a cracked platform and excess trash at the Fordham station.

Thompson recommended that the MTA and Metro-North:

• Correct all unsafe and dangerous station conditions immediately.

• Replace all missing third-rail caps and protective sleeve covers immediately.

• Repair the platforms and other deteriorated structures identified in the audit.

• Clean and remove the graffiti and debris identified in the audit.

• Ensure that conditions identified by Metro-North inspectors are promptly corrected.

In response to the audit, Metro-North officials concurred with the Comptroller’s recommendations and indicated that they will take actions to remedy the cited conditions.

The audit can be viewed at the Comptroller’s web site: www.comptroller.nyc.gov

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