Reported Injuries Rise on Long Island Rail Road

Despite efforts to close gaps between its station platforms and train cars, gap-related injuries on the Long Island Rail Road have increased over the past year, according to railroad officials.

Since August, when a teenager fell to her death through a gap at the Woodside station, The railroad has spent more than $3 million adjusting and extending platforms at 21 of its stations. It has also waged aggressive public information campaigns warning customers to mind the gap.

The frequency of gap-related injuries has more than doubled in recent months: there have been 78 gap-related injuries since August, compared to 35 in the first seven months of 2006, according to railroad statistics.

A railroad spokeswoman said the agency could not account for the increase but noted that gap-related injuries have dropped by about 50% over the past decade.