An MTA employee was stabbed Monday night in Brooklyn, and police say the suspect took off along the subway tracks.

The attack happened at around 10:30 p.m. on the southbound tracks just north of the Nostrand Avenue train station in Crown Heights, police sources confirmed.

Police said the 64-year-old employee was working when he confronted the suspect lying on the tracks and told him that he couldn't be down there.

That led to a dispute, and the employee was stabbed in the neck, police said. The victim was rushed to Kings County Hospital and is in stable condition.

Police said the suspect, who has a slim build and was wearing a black and white shirt, fled through a subway tunnel.

"Something like this should not happen"  

Officials reacted swiftly to Monday night's attack.

"Something like this should not happen for our employees. That's something you have to say out the gate. They should be able to come in in the same condition and go home in the same condition," NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said.

John Chiarello, president of Transport Workers Union Local 100, said the stabbing highlights the vulnerability transit workers often face.

"They keep saying crime is down. They keep saying everything is going away. I don't see it," Chiarello said. "We're not going to stop, as long as they're harming our members. Anyone who does it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Subway crime has hit historic lows, officials say

The attack comes as the MTA faces mounting pressure from the federal government to reduce overall crime in the system and assaults against agency workers, or run the risk of losing major funding.

"This is the money that Washington provides that goes to us and more to the NYPD for their subway patrols. So, to me, it's unthinkable that Washington could be considering cutting transit security grants," MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said.

Earlier this month, Gov. Kathy Hochul touted historic lows in subway crime over the summer. Overall transit crime fell nearly 10% and felony assaults were down 21% across the months of June, July and August, Hochul said. Even fare evasion was down from nearly 14% last summer to 9% this summer.

Stabbing leaves subway riders on edge

Residents who frequent the Nostrand Avenue station called the stabbing an unusual case and said, while they feel safe, they'd like to see more police.

"I hope this person gets caught very soon before he makes another attack," rider Terrie Burwell said.

"Oh my god, it's scary. Oh my god, I travel here every day and I always look out, but sometimes there is cops around but sometimes there is not," one person said Thursday morning.

"It could help maybe in the next week to have more presence, just to make sure everything is cool," another person added.

"I think contributing resources to make it more safe for the workers since they're a vital part of the city," Adam Mims said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via their website. All calls are kept confidential.