At least two men have died, and three others have been injured in a series of unrelated train-related incidents that took place across Bronx train systems in the past month, according to City officials. No criminality is suspected in relation to the two deceased men, while one of the surviving injured victims was pushed in front of or against a moving train. Meanwhile, City officials are reminding New Yorkers that help and support is available for those who may be having thoughts of suicide.

According to the NYPD, the most recent incident took place at 3.30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1. A police spokesperson said, “Police responded to a 911 call of an assault at the 161 Street (Yankee Stadium) Station.” The spokesperson said that upon arrival, officers were informed that a 72-year-old man had been on the southbound 4 train platform when he was pushed into the side of an incoming train by an unidentified individual.

The spokesperson said the victim was transported to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition. Police said officers quickly apprehended and arrested Anton Aleshin, 29, of Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn in connection with the incident and Aleshin was charged with attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

Pix-11 News reported that the victim had been on his way home after visiting Empire City Casino in Yonkers when the incident occurred. Crediting a police source, PIX 11 reported that the victim suffered two broken ribs, along with head and facial injuries in what was described as an unprovoked attack. PIX-11 also reported that the incident was captured on surveillance video, and that Aleshin is a doctor and Russian national who is currently enrolled in a residency program at Brookdale Hospital. Meanwhile, CBS reported that Aleshin pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The NYPD said a second straphanger was also injured at 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29, at the Tremont Avenue subway station serving the D train, located at East Tremont Avenue and the Grand Concourse. An NYPD spokesperson said an aided person had been walking on the southbound platform when he fell onto the roadbed. The spokesperson said the victim was able to pull himself back onto the platform, did not make contact with a train, and is not a crime victim. They said the victim sustained a small laceration to his head and was treated by EMS at the scene.

Around a week prior, an NYPD spokesperson said a man was killed at the 205th Street Subway Station, located at East 205th Street and Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood, on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 10.08 p.m. On Dec. 24, a spokesperson told Norwood News, “The aided male was in the tunnel when he was struck by a southbound D train. The aided was pronounced DOA (deceased on arrival) on scene. There is no criminality suspected.”

Two days after the man’s death, Bruno, a resident of Norwood, asked Norwood News, “The day before yesterday, my friend got killed on the D train. Do you know where it happened?” After sharing the response received from the police, Bruno said, “Do you know what happened?” We shared the limited information we received from police.

Several Citizen App users had questioned how someone could have been hit by a train at the location when trains usually move very slowly when they pull in and out of that particular station. Both the NYPD and the MTA were asked several times about a so-called “slow zone” at the 205th Street Station, but neither entity responded.

“I heard he was walking down the tracks,” Bruno said in part. Asked if he was a close friend of the victim, he replied, “Yeah, I was really close to him.” He added that a vigil had been held for the victim in Norwood and he and another friend said the deceased man had grown up in Norwood.

The second friend, who declined to be identified, said, “He was a great person.” The friend continued, “He loved baseball. He was a Yankee fan, and he loved helping people. That’s all.” The same friend later added, “I didn’t go [to the funeral]. I don’t even know how he died.” After hearing of the circumstances, the friend said in part, “Wow, I wonder what he was doing there.”

On Wednesday, Dec. 31, Norwood News located the Norwood building where the man grew up and observed a box of candles in front of it. A male resident who appeared to be in his forties said the deceased man had lived there previously with his mother and sister but had later moved in with his girlfriend elsewhere in the neighborhood. The resident recalled, “We would just say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ but he was a nice guy. I heard what happened and I was surprised to hear that this happened to him.”

Regarding a fourth train-related tragedy at the 149th Street Subway Station, along the Grand Concourse serving the 4 and 5 trains, an NYPD spokesperson directed our additional questions on an unconfirmed subway incident to the FDNY. An FDNY spokesperson later said that on Friday, Dec. 5, at 3.17 a.m. the department received a 911 call for an unconscious male at the location, and that one patient was removed to Lincoln Hospital in “critical condition.” The spokesperson  added that “no additional information” was available on the incident.

Breaking News Network (BNN) site, a commercial news gathering service for media outlets and first responders, reported that paramedics had been performing CPR on a victim at the location on the date in question. It remains unknown if this was the result of contact with a train, an assault, or some other medical issue.

A fifth incident reported by BNN took place on the Metro-North tracks at Sackett Avenue and Paulding Avenue, the site of the new Morris Park Metro-North Station on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 11.26 p.m. The NYPD directed questions about the incident to the MTA, and the MTA directed calls to Amtrak. Amtrak has not yet responded to two email requests for details of the incident. The FDNY later said the call was “unfounded.”

A sixth train-related incident was reported at the Fordham Road Metro-North Station at East Fordham Road and Webster Avenue, also on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 10:15 a.m. Once again, the NYPD directed calls to the MTA. An MTA spokesperson told Norwood News that a 31-year-old man from out of state was killed when he was struck by a moving train. They said the incident was witnessed by fellow riders and captured on surveillance video, and no criminality is suspected.

City health officials are reminding New Yorkers that if anyone is perhaps depressed and thinking of ending their life, counselors are available 24/7 at 988 to listen and to support them. They say if a person is at immediate risk of hurting themselves, and loved ones are unable to intervene or are in immediate danger because of a health condition or other situation, they should call 911.

Health officials also say that suicide is preventable. For anyone who may be having thoughts of suicide, they recommend telling someone and seeking mental health support, reaching out to a trusted person, or talking to a friend, family member, or counselor to tell them how the person is feeling. They said the first step to getting help is to let someone know how the person is struggling. Learn more about suicide prevention here: https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/suicide-prevention.page.

The MTA directed our requests for statistics on 2025 train deaths and injuries in The Bronx and citywide to the NYPD. We did not receive an immediate response. The MTA is currently reminding riders of its latest fare increase on New York City subways and buses, the Long Island Railroad, and on all MTA bridges and tunnels. The bus and subway increase of ten cents brings the current fare to $3.

Meanwhile, on Dec. 31, Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA officials gave an update on ongoing citywide ADA upgrades and elevator replacements in 2026, confirming that among the stations to be upgraded as part of the 2020-24 Capital Plan, are The Bronx’s 3rd Avenue-138th Street station serving the 6 train, Brook Avenue station, also serving the 6 train, and Wakefield-241st Street station, serving the 2 train.

They said the congestion pricing began on Jan. 5, 2025, and was on track to generate over $500 million by the end of the year, allowing the MTA to advance with the $15 billion in capital improvements.

On Jan. 5, Hochul said New York City’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program had been a “transformational success,” reducing traffic, improving quality of life, and supporting billions in transit upgrades. State officials said in its first year, congestion pricing resulted in 27 million fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) of Manhattan south of 60th Street, constituting an 11 percent reduction in traffic.

They said reduced gridlock has improved commute times with some drivers saving as much as 15 minutes each way. They said congestion pricing has also reduced emissions, made streets safer, improved quality of life, and generated over $550 million in net revenue in its first year, allowing the MTA to proceed with $15 billion in transit improvement projects.

Hochul went on to defend congestion pricing from what were described as “unlawful federal efforts to terminate the program,” adding in part, “The results are in and it is clear that in just one year, congestion pricing has been an unprecedented success in New York.”