Plea For NJ TRANSIT To Improve Safety At Ramsey Train Station Following Fatal Accidents
RAMSEY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- There has been a plea for NJ TRANSIT to improve the safety at a train station following several fatal accidents.
CBS2's Meg Baker reports there have been three fatal accidents at the Ramsey, New Jersey, station since 2010.
The nephew of Jamie Ryan got thrown 100 feet to his death after being hit by a train in June.
"Tommy saw his train pull up on the New York side not knowing that another train would be coming in the opposite direction doing 70 mph and tragically struck him," Ryan said.
Tommy Ryan was parked on the opposite side and witnesses said he went under the safety arms to cross the tracks.
"I think the train station should be closed," Jamie Ryan said. "The federal government has called this the second deadliest train station in New Jersey. It was built and open in 1868, so it's the oldest running train station in New Jersey."
Tommy Ryan's death was the third fatal accident in Ramsey since 2010.
Other people said there is a major issue that there is no wall or fence to separate the sidewalk from the train tracks.
Ramsey's Mayor Dierdre Dillion said adding curtains to the crossing arms, adding more fencing and more lighting will improve safety.
"If they're going to keep it open, the trains, in my opinion, the express trains and all trains need to slow down to 10 mph," Ryan said.
Less than two miles away is the Ramsey 17 station that opened in 2004 and is fully equipped with overpasses. NJ TRANSIT said it has no plans to shut the Main Street station and said the trains that travel at 70 mph are not considered high-speed trains.
When asked if the trains can slow down when passing through Ramsey, NJ TRANSIT replied, "Not without negatively impacting customer travel time along this line."
Elmwood Park is home to the train station rated most dangerous in the state, but safety improvements were recently made there.