Both platforms at Syosset station in Nassau County have been fitted with 12 CCTV cameras and three 46-inch LCD flat-screen monitors, which receive the camera feeds. They are positioned so that at least one will always be visible to the head conductor of each train.
Zandar’s MultiViewers allow each monitor to display up to 12 different views of the platform, giving conductors an unobstructed view of the length of the train as it runs around the station’s unusual curve. One MultiViewer is used for each platform, with the third on standby as a backup.
As is the case with many stations on the LIRR, there is a large gap between the platform and the train at Syosset. State senator Carl L Marcellino, who secured a grant for the CCTV network, said the MultiViewers enable staff to see any problem that has occurred, before making it worse by moving the train.
“The whole idea is to prevent an accident from becoming a tragedy,” he said.
The Predator VC12 processes up to 12 full-motion composite video sources in real-time for quality monitoring purposes, and Zandar say each unit can be expanded to add a combination of 2-4 video or computer inputs. It also includes Zandar’s ZdH Dual Head capability and Z-Configurator control software as standard.
Zandar say that prior to the installation of the system, Syosset station witnessed unacceptably high numbers of so-called ‘gap injuries’ to passengers- with three people falling through the gap on the same day in January 1996. The LIRR says that some gap will always be necessary to ensure the smooth running of trains, which Zandar think underlines the need for systems such as that installed at Syosset.
Deirdre Smith, Zandar’s CEO, said the company was proud to have been selected to supply the Long Island Rail Road with the system.
“Our MultiViewers are used in many life safety and security installations around the world, but seldom is their value so visible to the general public as here,” she said.
