STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Part of a Staten Island Railway station is crumbling, and one borough resident is worried that more problems will follow.
Recently, a tipster contacted the Advance/SILive.com to warn that a hole had appeared in the concrete platform at the Staten Island Railway Station in Oakwood.
Alex, a commuter on Staten Island who asked to only go by their first name, said they first saw the hole in the St. George-bound platform edge at the Oakwood Heights station on Jan. 22.
The tipster said they were unsure if the concrete had collapsed, but added that MTA employees were working near the gap in the platform, and St. George-bound trains were skipping the station.
“I saw numerous MTA crews surrounding what seemed like a hole or part of the platform edge that collapsed at Oakwood Heights Station,” Alex said, describing the situation.
A photo shows the crumbled platform edge and additional bits of concrete that were removed near the Guyon Avenue entrance of the station. In the photo, a work crew appears to be bracing the platform edge with wooden support beams.
A separate photo taken later shows the hole covered with plywood with wooden supports installed underneath.
This photo from Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 shows a gap in the Oakwood Heights Staten Island Railway station after being cordoned off and covered with plywood. (Courtesy of Alex)
During a visit to the station earlier this week, a reporter noted the damaged section was still blocked off and covered in snow.
The Guyon Avenue entrance to the St. George-bound platform was closed off and passengers were being directed to enter at the South Railroad Avenue stairs.
Plywood barricades were in place to prevent any passengers from getting close to the area. Three wooden braces were also installed under the damaged area of the platform.
The tipster also shared concerns about conditions at other stations along the Staten Island Railway line, singling out Clifton and Old Town as having “parts of platforms bordered off, crumbling or literal holes.”
This photo shows wooden supports and chips in the concrete platform on the Tottenville-bound side of the Old Town Staten Island Railway station.(Courtesy of Alex)
When asked about the Oakwood station, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the situation was due to a hole in the platform concrete and stressed that the platform is safe.
“Due to a hole in the concrete on the platform at the end of the Oakwood Heights station, Staten Island Railway crews took immediate action to ensure the platform is safe for customer use,” said Acting Staten Island Railway Vice President Lisa Schreibman.
“There is no safety risk, and customers do not need to move past the part of the platform where repair work is being done to enter or exit the station, as all cars — except the last one — are platforming.”
The MTA official also said that the full St. George-bound platform at Oakwood Heights would reopen before the spring, once the weather improves and additional repairs can be made.
In addition, an agency spokesperson emphasized that there are no structural issues at other stations and the platforms are inspected annually by engineers and monthly by maintenance staff.
Station issues that do not pose immediate safety concerns are typically tracked and fixed through regular maintenance and the capital program, according to the spokesperson.
The agency representative also said that riders can share their concerns through MTA’s customer feedback website.