Last week, I met with Chris Tyrrell, a locomotive engineer with CSX Transportation and a legislative representative for SMART Local 352, the labor union representing workers at the CSX rail yard in West Springfield. Chris brought to my attention safety concerns surrounding a highly dangerous rail crossing on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield. Currently, the tracks crossing Memorial Avenue’s four lanes of traffic do not have crossing gates or adequate signal lights.
The trains that cross Memorial Avenue carry thousands of gallons of highly flammable propane gas; a car hitting one of them could potentially result in a massive explosion. Chris told me that cars frequently come within feet, or perhaps inches, of colliding with trains. It is evident that the lack of proper protection in the form of gates and adequate light signals puts the lives of the rail workers and other members of our community in jeopardy.
With that said, I would like to, first of all, encourage anyone driving along Memorial Avenue to exercise an abundance of caution and vigilance, especially now that the Big E is ongoing in that area. And furthermore, I am adding my voice to the chorus of people calling on the state and CSX to come to an agreement to fund the addition of crossing gates and proper light signals to this crossing, so that we can ensure the safety of rail workers and members of our community.
Tom Hendrickson
Agawam
The writer is a city councilor in Agawam.
