Bruce Freeman track crossing closes due to gate problems
Mechanical malfunctions due to snow and road salt are to blame, a Commuter Rail spokesperson said.
The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail’s winding path just took a detour: Concrete barriers and a chain link fence now block it at the West Acton Commuter Rail station.
Problems with the crossing’s mechanical gates due to snow and road salt are to blame, a Commuter Rail spokesperson said.
The rail trail crossing is one of several paths across the West Acton tracks. Although this option is off-limits, pedestrians and cyclists need only travel roughly 100 feet out of their way for an alternative route, either at Commonwealth Avenue or to the east across the train station platforms.
Crossing gates are designed to stay in a lowered position when there’s a problem. Snow and salt have been triggering this “safe mode” recently, Keolis Commuter Services spokesperson Jake O’Neil said, and trains have had to inch through the area due to safety regulations.
Keolis operates the Commuter Rail for the MBTA.
Officials chose to close the crossing “to maintain safe and reliable train service,” O’Neil told The Acton Bridge in an email.
The closure is temporary “while crews monitor the snow and salt melt issue,” he said.
Signs already instruct cyclists to walk their bikes in the area around the West Acton station.
