Locomotive conductors demand better safety measures at railroad crossing in West Springfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Locomotive conductors and train engineers face major workplace safety issues at a railroad crossing on Memorial Avenue in West Springfield.

These railroad workers are trying to drum up support to attain the necessary funding to create better safety measures so that they can transfer propane tanks back and forth on Memorial Avenue without the threat of being hit by a car.

“To me, this is just a tragedy waiting to happen,” said Jeff Jones, president of UFCW Local 352.

The propane tanks are filled to the brim with flammable gas, and travel back and forth sometimes 14 times a week on this busy street in west Springfield.

“We have a propane customer across the way we’re expected to move these cars at night time, during the day, through Big E traffic, anytime really, but there are no gates to stop the traffic,” said Chris Tyrrell, legislative representative for Local 352.

The only protection that these railroad workers have are two sets of lights and reflective stickers on the tank. Conductors need to stop the train, get out of their locomotives, and walk into traffic to place flares on the road to stop vehicles for the train to cross.

This crossing is used to shove freight trains carrying hazardous propane tanks across the four lanes of traffic on Memorial Avenue. Without the proper protections in place, these railroad workers are constantly in harm’s way.

“We don’t need a car to hit one of these tank cars and cause an explosion or catastrophic event of any kind and I certainly don’t need one of my members getting hit and getting injured or potentially a fatal death, ” emphasized Tyrrell.

The roadblock these workers now face is who will pay for the new safety enhancements.

“It’s kind of become an ownership dispute because it’s not the towns crossing it’s arguably not CSX’s crossing either it’s a conglomerate of owners on the other side and no one wants to take ownership and pay for it,” said West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt.

Mayor Reichelt firmly believes that town residents should not have to pay for the private enterprise’s crossing. Adding that the state and CSX should come to an agreement and fully fund the project.

A diagnostic session is being held by the Department of Public Utilities on September 25th to evaluate this crossing. In the meantime, workers encourage residents to share their testimonials to encourage the state to step in to avoid a potentially deadly crash.

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