This article was updated on Aug. 11 to reflect that the grade crossings have malfunctioned again.
Glitches in the systems that control the safety gates at Abington’s train crossings have tied up traffic nearly two dozen times in the past year, according to town data.
The MBTA says the problem has been repaired, but residents report that the gates have malfunctioned multiple times this past week.
Abington officials are also still frustrated that it took multiple complaints to spur action, especially with the problematic history at the town’s grade crossings.
“Considering the past issues we’ve had with the MBTA, I do find it concerning that they’re not on top of it and not communicating what the problem is and why it’s not a priority,” Town Manager Scott Lambiase said.
Abington has one of the highest number of grade crossings on the South Shore. The commuter rail tracks cross public roadways in seven places, including five times within a mile in North Abington. Only the Central Street crossing is above grade.
A 2023 Abington News analysis of MBTA data determined that more accidents have occurred at Abington grade crossings than any other town along the Old Colony Line. As of last year, there had been 30 incidents involving commuter trains striking vehicles or people located on or near the tracks; of that number, 18 took place in Abington, with 10 happening along a 200-yard stretch between North Avenue and Birch Street.
A combination of state and federal regulations determine the safety measures required at grade crossings. In Massachusetts, most grade crossings are protected by a pair of safety gates that come down and block traffic in both directions as a train approaches. The gates include smaller arms that block sidewalks, as well as flashing red lights and ringing bells.
When the safety systems malfunction, experience a glitch, or lose power, the arms automatically come down and Keolis is notified. However, it can take over a half hour for Keolis to respond to the scene and reset the safety systems.
In Abington, state routes 123, 139, and 58 each cross over the tracks at one point. When the gates are stuck down, traffic backs up in both directions along these busy roads.
Donna Peavey lives near the grade crossing on Summer Street, which is another heavily traveled roadway. She said drivers frustrated at the delays will use residential driveways and nearby side roads to turn around, often aggressively.
She said her husband and daughter were in their yard trying to cross the street one day during one of the recent backups, when a driver trying to turn around started swearing at them.
“[My daughter] was very upset,” she said.
Abington News contacted town officials in July about the issue after noticing multiple posts over a three-week span on town-related social media channels from residents complaining about the recurring delays.
Select Board Chairman Kevin Donovan said at the time he wasn’t aware of any recurring malfunctions and chalked up the incidents to a stretch of extreme heat.
“I have not heard of any reports from either of the public safety chiefs as to anything out of the ordinary,” he told Abington News.
However, the malfunctions continued to occur. By mid-July residents had become more vocal about the problem, prompting Donovan, who serves as the town’s representative to the MBTA Advisory Board, to send a message to the advisory board’s executive director, Brian Kane, asking him to look into the situation and see if a fix was being planned.
Lambiase said he also reached out to MassDOT Safety Chief Patrick Lavin and that Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida also contacted state transportation officials.
When the gates malfunction, the MBTA notifies the Holbrook Regional Emergency Command Center, which handles dispatch duties for Abington Police and Fire. Dispatchers then pass the heads up along to Abington Police, who in turn notify the fire department.
Lambiase said town records indicate grade crossing gates in Abington have malfunctioned 24 times over the past year. The Center Street was the most common location, with 11 glitches, followed by the nearby Summer Street crossing, which experienced 10.
The repeated malfunctions haven’t caused any delays in response by first responders, as they generally use Central Street to access roads on the east side of the tracks. However, the glitches are still a worry.
“Any time there is a gate that malfunctions or is stuck, it definitely can create safety issues of concern,” Fire Chief Jack Glynn said.
The stuck gates do tie up Abington Police if they’re required to respond to an intersection and reroute traffic, Lambiase said.
“I think it’s important that Keolis and or the MBTA notifies us as a community when stuff like this is going on, or when there’s a bigger problem,” Lambiase said. “We understand that it’s an aging system, and it needs upgrades. Just let us know that they’re aware of it and working on it, and give us an idea of what we should do when these things happen. “
In an email to Abington News on July 30, the MBTA said Keolis, the company that runs the state’s commuter rail system, had found the problem, fixed it, and is monitoring the area to confirm the repair worked. The issue was complex, the agency said, because grade crossing warning systems can overlap, impacting multiple crossings simultaneously.
According to residents on social media, the grade crossing gates malfunctioned again last Saturday.
Donovan, in a followup email to Abington News, thanked the MBTA for jumping in the problem once contacted.
“I want to commend MBTA officials who responded promptly after I contacted them and crews were working on the issue the next day,” he said.
None of the incidents involving trains hitting vehicles or pedestrians in Abington were caused by safety system malfunctions, the MBTA has said.
A study commissioned by the Town determined the grade crossings met all minimum state and federal safety standards, but said signage and road markings could be improved in spots.
In 2023, family and friends of Kaitlyn McCarthy, an Abington High senior killed while walking near the tracks in May 2022, gave emotional testimony to the MBTA Board of Directors pleading for safety improvements at commuter rail grade crossings.
Abington officials last year also met with state transportation leaders and the town’s legislative delegation to make the case for improvements.
Shortly after, MBTA General Manager Philip Eng said he system was rolling out some limited improvements system wide, including painting more visible roadway markings at crossings, installing plastic bollards to prevent drivers from turning on to tracks, and working with navigational apps to alert drivers they are approaching train tracks.