‘It was a recipe for this incident’
GO riders blame construction for crowded platform where woman hit
The GO Transit platform where a woman was struck by an express train on Tuesday has been partially closed for several months due to construction at the station, causing crowding during rush hour.
Toronto police said the 46-yearold woman was walking near the edge of the platform at Long Branch GO Station when she was hit by an express train bypassing the station at around 8:15 a.m. She was rushed to hospital in lifethreatening condition. No update on her condition was available Wednesday.
Multiple witnesses said the highspeed train was travelling on the tracks north of the middle platform while passengers waited for the delayed 8:11 a.m. eastbound train to arrive on the south side. They said the woman was hit at the west end of the platform, where it becomes more narrow.
The impact left her face-down on the yellow strip, with half her body hanging over the edge, said Carolyn Blocka, who was standing about three metres away.
“Somebody was saying, ‘Call 911,’ and then somebody else yelled, ‘Is there a doctor?’ ” she said.
Luckily there was, and others had rushed to help, bystanders improvised, using a belt as a tourniquet to treat her. Paramedics and police arrived shortly after.
The incident underscores the importance of railway safety and, commuters told the Star this week, the need for Metrolinx — the transit agency that owns and operates GO Transit — to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
In a statement, a Metrolinx spokesperson said police are still investigating how the incident unfolded. The agency said it serves as “a sobering reminder of the importance of rail safety and how dangerous trains are.”
“We urge all customers at all times to stand behind the yellow line and ensure a safe distance away from the train on the platform,” the statement said.
“Please remember to always be aware of trains passing at any moment, listen for station announcements and ensure your bags and parcels are close to your body.”
Metrolinx said additional safety measures have been implemented at Long Branch since the construction. That includes reducing the speeds of passing trains, deploying additional station staff, and increasing customer communications, signage and safety messaging.
“Additional staff will continue to be deployed while construction is underway,” the agency said, adding it reviews the effectiveness of those measures on an ongoing basis.
The length of the platform is reduced to half of its size because Metrolinx is expanding and redesigning the station to make it more accessible. Transit riders can only board and leave the train using a limited number of train carts.
Lisa Davis semiregularly takes the GO train, while her husband takes it Monday to Friday. She said the increased congestion on the platform has been a growing concern since service was reduced in May from a train arriving every 15 minutes to every half-hour.
The construction only exacerbates the problem, she said.
“It was a recipe for this exact incident.”