Man killed by train after falling from platform at Midtown MARTA station

A man was killed Tuesday morning after being hit by a MARTA train at the Midtown station, officials said.

The man was standing on the granite strip portion of the platform that is restricted, MARTA police spokesperson Sgt. Deneya Littles said. He fell off the platform and onto the southbound tracks around 7:40 a.m., MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said.

He was identified as 71-year-old Thomas Howard, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

A lengthy investigation is expected, fire spokesperson Alyssa Richardson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Commuters are advised daily by overhead speaker announcements and by MARTA personnel to stay off that portion of the platform, which is a different texture and color from the rest of the platform, Littles said.

The scene was cleared and trains were running again by around 10:20 a.m., according to Fisher, but delays remained throughout the morning.

To alleviate the issue, the transit authority bused riders between the Civic Center and Lindbergh Center stations and offered subsidized transportation through MARTAConnect by offering a $15 Uber credit for transit riders. By noon, the bus bridge and the Uber credit had been discontinued as normal service resumed.