A passenger's foot became trapped between a train and the platform at North Quincy MBTA station Thursday evening as the rider was stepping off, according to transit officials. Bystanders on the platform jumped in to help free the person, and the Quincy Fire Department responded and transported the passenger to a nearby hospital.
The incident snarled Braintree Branch service for riders trying to get home, with the MBTA posting an alert that trains were facing 15-minute delays due to a medical emergency at North Quincy, as Boston.com reported. Footage shared on Reddit appeared to show bystanders assisting the person whose foot was caught between the train and the platform, and one poster described riders pushing the train slightly to create space so the man could free his leg.
MBTA Thanks Riders and Firefighters
In a statement, MBTA officials said, “We want to thank fellow passengers and Quincy Fire Department who helped the rider this evening,” crediting the quick response of both the public and first responders. The agency also used the moment to issue a broader caution to the system's daily riders. “We remind all riders to be mindful as they board and exit trains,” officials said.
That reminder echoes guidance already posted on the MBTA's own safety page, which tells passengers to watch their step when getting on and off of an MBTA vehicle and to stand behind the yellow line on the platform while waiting for a train or trolley. The agency's safety tips also instruct riders to dial 911 or call MBTA Transit Police at 617-222-1212 to report an emergency.
Platform Gaps Have Caused Trouble Before
Gaps between trains and platforms are a longstanding hazard on transit systems nationwide, not just at North Quincy. National standards call for a 4-inch gap at train stations, according to transportation expert Carl Berkowitz, cited by the Boston Globe. On the MBTA's own Orange Line, a 45-year-old woman was injured getting off a train after her left leg became caught in the gap, and passengers helped free her by pushing the train away from the platform, the Globe reported.
The stakes of these gaps can be severe. An 18-year-old woman was killed in 2006 after falling into an almost 8-inch gap on the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, a tragedy that prompted a safety study leading to physical changes narrowing gaps system-wide along with new audio and visual warnings. That effort was followed by a significant decrease in gap-related incidents, per the same Globe report.
Door Incidents Have Also Drawn Scrutiny
Beyond platform gaps, MBTA doors themselves have been the subject of recent safety reviews. The transit agency had about as many door incidents in 2023 as it did in 2022, and about half as many as its annual average before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to WBUR. On Jan. 1 of that reporting period, a passenger's leg became caught in a closing Green Line door at the Medford/Tufts station, according to MBTA Chief Safety Officer Tim Lesniak, who also described three separate incidents involving Red Line doors in December — two involving passengers' bags and one involving a contractor's hand.
In response to that string of incidents, the T issued a bulletin to subway operators refreshing them on door protocols, began broadcasting in-station safety reminders, and planned additional signage, per WBUR's reporting. Thursday's North Quincy incident adds a fresh example to that pattern, underscoring why the MBTA continues to lean on rider vigilance and bystander help as part of its safety net at busy platforms along the Braintree Branch.
