Safety has left the station.
Inspectors working on the MTA’s Metro-North Railroad repeatedly shirked life-saving station safety and equipment checks, with one fraudster instead dining out at restaurants on the clock, records obtained by The Post show.
The internal discipline letters — shared by a 15-year MTA veteran who asked to remain anonymous — accuse two inspectors of faking numerous checks this year, including at Yankee Stadium station.
“These employees have filled out forms showing the inspections were done and there is GPS proof that they were out at other locations,” the veteran fumed.
“The signal inspections present a safety risk for employees and the riding public.”
The allegedly duplicitous duo — mechanic George E. Desmond and inspector Ibn R. Jenkins — are still employed at the transit agency while the accusations remain under investigation, MTA officials said.
Desmond, who held various mechanic jobs for the MTA since 2012, received a letter from a manager in July accusing him of misconduct, records show.
He allegedly made false reports contending he inspected train stations and equipment at times when he couldn’t have possibly completed the time-consuming checks, records state.
GPS records showed that sometimes Desmond didn’t show up at all, while other times he simply wasn’t present at stations long enough to perform dozens of inspections, the letter states. He even skipped inspections when he was supposed to be training a new employee, according to the letter.
Instead of doing the work, Desmond used his company vehicle to go to restaurants, the letter alleges.
Jenkins is similarly accused of failing to conduct mandatory tests, inspections and maintenance.
He also made careless errors in paperwork for train signal testing, putting safety and equipment reliability at risk, his disciplinary letter states.
The pair ultimately faked inspections at the Yankees, Harlem 125th, Highbridge Yard, New Haven, Glendale, Greenwich, Stamford, Springdale, Wassaic and West Hudson stations, records allege.
Desmond and Jenkins didn’t return requests for comment.
Skipped inspections appear to be a persistent problem for the MTA.
Seven subway track inspectors in 2021 were suspended after the MTA’s internal watchdog found they failed to conduct inspections and lied about it on official forms.
An audit found other Metro-North inspectors faked checks during 2024, with 100 safety tests never being completed along the New Haven line and New Canaan branch, according to the discipline letters.
The scandal cast a glaring light on the busy transit systems and left riders stunned.
“I definitely think that’s concerning,” said Olivia Marceda, 19, a college student at Fairfield University who takes Metro-North regularly from Grand Central.
“I definitely feel like there should have been more checks and balances and leadership should have been more on top of the workers.”
But Jai Misra, 62, who moved to Rye two weeks ago from Delhi, India, said he thinks the Metro-North train service is just fine, despite the missed inspections.
“I come from India it’s very bad. There’s no such things as inspections. It’s all randomly done,” Misra said.
“My expectations are lower, so I am happy. This is very good for me.”
A Metro-North train derailment in 2013 left four holiday travelers dead and dozens more injured.
MTA officials said all the stations and equipment mentioned in the discipline letters against Desmond and Jenkins, as well as the audit, have been inspected since the accusations arose.
“Safety is Metro-North’s highest priority, and the railroad has zero tolerance for anyone who would engage in the conduct alleged,” said Justin Vonashek, president for Metro-North, in a statement.
Read the full article here
