Local News

Gloucester declares emergency measure after train crossing arms land on several cars

Keolis updated the railroad crossing at Gloucester Station so the gates stay down longer.

September 4, 2022

3 minutes to read

Gloucester has declared an emergency measure in response to numerous reports of railroad crossing arms landing on vehicles.

According to the Gloucester Daily Times, the city council on Wednesday voted 8-0 for a declaration of an emergency measure over the safety of the local railroad crossings.

The unanimous vote follows several instances of drivers reporting that their vehicles were hit by crossing arms, or trapped by them. The declaration will be in place for 60 days.

Nearly 30 people complained of the arms hitting their cars, according to a report by CBS. Gloucester Station, located at Washington Street and Railroad Avenue, has been the most affected crossing.

On July 14, Gloucester resident and retired Deputy Fire Chief Steve Aiello said his wife and son were at the Washington Street crossing when the gate crashed down on their car, and they were forced to back up to avoid being hit by an oncoming train.

“The crossing gates went down and they were the first in line,” Aiello said in a public Facebook post. “Approximately 45 seconds to a minute later the gates went back up. As they proceeded to cross the tracks the train appeared in front of them! The gates then went back down as they attempted to get out of the way of the train! Unfortunately, they backed into another car but luckily there was no damage and nobody was hurt. The MBTA has been notified by phone and email. There have been ongoing issues at this crossing since the trains started running again in May!”

On Tuesday, Aiello posted a video of what appears to be a faulty crossing arm unable to lower at a Cleveland Street crossing.

“This morning on Cleveland St! Would these gates work when the train crosses? And this is less than a day after Keolis was here to fix them!” he said in the post.

Another video, posted on Aug. 27, shows a white car apparently stuck between a gate and the tracks as a train crosses.

“Another close call! It appears as though the white car is literally between the train and the crossing gates,” Aiello said in that post.

As the Times reported, the city council held an impromptu Zoom meeting on Wednesday in which councilors asked the MBTA to put personnel or transit police in place at the crossings to oversee traffic and send maintenance staff until the problem has been resolved.

In an email to Boston.com, Keolis, which operates the Commuter Rail, said the crossing at Washington Street has functioned as intended since the return of train service to the line in May of 2022.

The company said an approaching train engages the gate system, prompting flashing lights and bells before the crossing gates begins to lower. Crossings are designed so that the gates are down for the maximum amount of time before the train enters the crossing.

In a situation where a train stops at a station near a crossing, like the circumstances at Washington Street, the system tells the gates to lower as the train approaches the station. This happens regardless of whether a train stops at a station or continues through the crossing.

When the train stops at the station, the gates will go back up to get traffic moving and prevent frustrated drivers from going around the crossing gate. As the train begins to move from the station, it triggers the system again, closing the gates.

“At the request of local officials, Keolis and the MBTA conducted a thorough evaluation of an alternative crossing design and have adjusted the crossing at Washington Street in Gloucester so that the crossing arms stay engaged for the duration of time while the train is in the station,” said Keolis spokesperson Alana Westwater. “Crossing gates are there to protect everyone, train passengers and crews, pedestrians, motorists, and all road users. We urge everyone to use caution, and always make sure you have the space to completely clear the crossing gate area before you enter it.”

Keolis updated the design so that when trains stop at Gloucester Station, the gates stay down the entire time the train is at the station until it clears the crossing — a significantly longer period than the old design.

The city council has criticized the design change, saying it will hold up traffic and first responders.