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James Romansoff, 58, was struck by a Metro-North train at 12:54 a.m. Monday while working near 106th Street on the Park Avenue viaduct, according to Metro-North.
He was part of a crew restoring power to tracks that had been closed for weekend maintenance when he was hit by a train traveling on the Harlem Line from Grand Central Terminal to Poughkeepsie. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration are investigating the accident. According to Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the NTSB, three investigators were sent to the scene of the accident to investigate what happened. The investigation was still ongoing Tuesday, Knudson said, and there were no updates to report. Information would most likely be released in the form of a preliminary report once the investigation was concluded, he said.
Metro-North recently installed safety hardware called the Enhanced Employee Protection System, designed to prevent trains from traveling down a section of track where workers are conducting maintenance. The system was in place when Romansoff was hit, according to Metro-North spokeswoman Marjorie Anders.
The incident is the latest of several investigations into Metro-North by the NTSB, including the derailment in the Bronx in December that left four dead and 71 injured. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently announced the creation of a Chief Safety Officer position, and new Metro-North President Joseph Guilietti has outlined a 100-day plan to improve safety for riders and workers.
Anders said Monday's accident will not have an impact on the implementation of the plan.
"That is a very comprehensive plan, and we will do our best to implement all aspects of it," she said.
Romansoff was an eight-year employee in Metro-North's power department. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
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