Third rail in Kew Gardens quickly fixed

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A photo posted to New York state Assemblyman Brian Curran’s Facebook page looked almost too disturbing to be true. “This ‘repair’ which I saw on June 27 at the Kew Gardens Long Island Rail Road station, is scary and very dangerous to riders!” the post read. “Unacceptable!”

The photo showed a third rail repair job done with support bars that were held in place by duct tape. The photo, which Curran’s publicist said was not taken him but by a business associate, was snapped the same day that a New York City subway derailment occurred in Harlem due to improperly secured replacement rail.

A proper repair job to the third rail at Kew Gardens was completed very shortly thereafter, an MTA spokesman said. “It was quickly fixed,” said MTA representative Aaron Donovan, adding that a fiberglass board was installed to cover and protect the third rail from the elements. "It does not come into contact with any part of a train, and does not carry any weight,” he added.