West Springfield Town Hall | June 25, 2026
Overview
This page highlights the efforts made over many years to find a solution to the blocked crossing problem at the at-grade railroad crossing on Front Street in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Trains In The Valley first published its assessment (found below) of the problem at this crossing in February 2022. The goal was to draw attention to the problem so that a wider audience could better understand the issues associated with this crossing.
In 2024, Congressman Richard Neal and MassDOT announced that the Front Street railroad crossing would be replaced with a flyover (an overpass) over the CSX-owned tracks.
Since the announcement, MassDOT has hosted a public meeting on the project and selected a design concept to advance to the next stage of development.
On October 30, 2026 the Federal Railroad Administration awarded MassDOT $30.3 million to fund Final Design and Construction of the project. MassDOT will will contribute a 25 percent non-Federal cost share of the project, with CSX contributing $2 million.
MassDOT expects to hold a second public meeting in the spring of 2027 to present its 25% design for the project.
Construction is expected to begin in 2028.
Contents
Our assessment of the problem at the Front Street Crossing
Historical timeline (1967 — 2021)
Overpass project announcement (July 24, 2024)
Public Information Meeting (June 25, 2026)
Our assessment of the problem at the Front Street crossing
Note: The assessment that follows was first published by Trains In The Valley in February 2022.
This section highlights the longstanding issue of freight trains blocking the Front Street highway-railroad crossing in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Since at least 2014, stopped CSX freight trains have caused frequent and extensive traffic delays at this location.
Agawam and West Springfield are directly connected by only three roads. Front Street, which carries almost 8,000 vehicles per day, is one of the three.
This page aims to improve transparency and make information about this issue more accessible to all interested parties.
Background information
The street
Front Street is a two-lane minor arterial road in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
The average daily traffic count for the road was 7,774 vehicles in 2019 (pre-COVID).1
Notably, Front Street is one of only three roads connecting Agawam and West Springfield.
The railroad line
The railroad line at this location, known as the Berkshire Subdivision, is owned and maintained by CSX Transportation (CSX), whose headquarters is in Jacksonville, Florida.
The maximum authorized speed through this crossing is 40 mph. However, most freight trains travel at considerably slower speeds because of the 30 mph speed limit in the West Springfield rail yard to the east and the steep grade immediately west of the yard.
Eastbound trains are traveling at 30 mph or less as they slow down to meet the lower speed limit in the rail yard, which begins about a half mile beyond the crossing. Most westbound trains travel at closer to 20 mph because the rear of the train is still within the 30 mph zone while the locomotive at the front is working to climb the steep grade. This grade begins in the West Springfield rail yard and continues west for about 2.5 miles.
The exceptions are shorter trains, including Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited (a passenger train) and the occasional short intermodal train.
The highway-railroad crossing
The Front Street highway-railroad grade crossing (hereafter referred to as simply the Front Street crossing) is the intersection where Front Street crosses the CSX-owned railroad line at grade.
The location of the crossing is shown on this Google Map —
>The Front Street highway-railroad grade crossing (hereafter referred to simply as the Front Street crossing) is where Front Street crosses the CSX-owned railroad line at grade.
This crossing is classified as a public grade crossing because the roadway crossing the tracks is under the jurisdiction of and maintained by a public authority, in this case, the Town of West Springfield.
The crossing has active warning and control devices (bells, flashing lights, and gates), as well as passive warning devices such as pavement markings.
The crossing itself, including the active warning and control devices, is owned and maintained by CSX.
Historical topographic maps indicate that there has been a railroad crossing at this location since at least 1889.
Federal Railroad Administration reference information
Grade crossing ID | 525901A
U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory Form – 525901A (PDF)
March 18, 2021
Summary of reported accidents at the crossing (since 1975)
| Date | Injuries | Damage to vehicle |
| 1979 | April 15th | None | None |
| 1980 | September 29th | None | None |
| 2003 | March 2nd | None | $ 2,000 |
| 2007 | February 11th | None | $ 4,500 |
| 2008 | February 6th | None | $ 4,500 |
| 2012 | April 17th | None | $ 2,000 |
| 2013 | September 14th | None | $ 1,000 |
| 2015 | October 31st | 1 person | $ 7,500 |
| 2022 | December 1st | 1 person | $ 2,000 |
| 2023 | August 26th | 2 persons | $ 15,500 |
Source:
Accident/Incident Reports for Crossing 525901A (PDF)
Federal Railroad Administration | As of October 2023
The problem
On an average weekday, 16 trains² pass over the Front Street crossing: 14 CSX freight trains and two Amtrak intercity passenger trains.
As described above, the actual speed of freight trains through this crossing is roughly 30 mph for an eastbound train and 20 mph for a westbound train. These speeds do not apply to the extra-long freight trains that arrive at and depart from the West Springfield rail yard daily, as explained below.
The time it takes a moving train to pass through the crossing depends on both its speed and its length. For example, a freight train with 100 cars traveling at 30 mph will take about two minutes to pass through the crossing. The same train traveling at 20 mph will take about three minutes.
Two very long trains arrive at and depart from the West Springfield rail yard each day. Their lengths vary, but they average approximately 8,000 to 9,000 feet. The arriving eastbound train creeps along at about 5 mph as it makes its way into the yard. Along the way, it makes several stops, each lasting 3 to 10 minutes, as sections of the train are coupled together or uncoupled.
The departing westbound train moves back and forth as the crew assembles the train, builds the air pressure needed for the brakes to work, and performs brake tests. Building air pressure alone can take 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the length of the train and the ambient air temperature. On a normal day, both the arriving eastbound and departing westbound trains are likely to block the crossing for more than an hour.
As reported by the media and local elected officials, CSX freight trains regularly stop while occupying the Front Street crossing, blocking traffic. Observations from a video surveillance camera near the crossing show that these blockages last anywhere from 20 to 90 minutes per occurrence.
A blocked crossing occurs when a stopped train prevents motor vehicle or pedestrian traffic from passing over railroad tracks for an extended period.
This condition poses potential safety risks, particularly at locations where trains routinely obstruct roadway and pedestrian movement for extended periods, as is happening at the Front Street crossing.
Blocked crossings jeopardize public safety by hindering the movement of emergency vehicles.
Furthermore, blocked crossings cause people to be late for work, school, and appointments, and contribute to roadway congestion.
The image gallery below provides an example of the problem.
This sequence of seven images, captured as screenshots from a video recorded by a MassDOT surveillance camera at the crossing, documents the blockage on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2, 2020.
The first image was captured at 12:15 p.m. and the last at 12:42 p.m. The images show that a CSX train occupied the crossing and blocked traffic for at least 27 minutes.
Interestingly, the sixth image, captured at 12:39 p.m., shows a locomotive (known as a distributed power unit in this case) positioned in the middle of the train. The presence of a distributed power unit suggests that this was a very long train.
So, why is the crossing being blocked?
Major freight railroads, including CSX, are operating increasingly longer trains across the U.S. rail network to reduce costs and maximize profits. Simply put, longer trains have a lower operating cost per freight car than shorter trains.
To operate longer trains out of its West Springfield rail yard, CSX needs to use the mainline tracks to the east and west of the yard to assemble and break down its trains. This is particularly true of trains operating between CSX’s rail yards in West Springfield and Selkirk, New York.
How long are the trains that are blocking the crossing?
Determining the length of a freight train isn’t easy, since every train is a different length.
But as an example, consider the eastbound CSX freight train that passed in front of a surveillance camera mounted on the building at 36 Union Street in Westfield at about 8:15 a.m. on Friday, February 18, 2022.
This train consisted of three locomotives and 122 freight cars.
If it was traveling, as it appeared to be, at the maximum authorized speed for this location (50 mph), the train would have been approximately 10,000 feet (1.9 miles) long.
To put that length in perspective, consider the map below.
The distance (shown in yellow) from the Front Street crossing to the west end of the CSX rail yard is about 2,600 feet, approximately one-quarter the length of the train.
The distance from the Front Street crossing to the middle of the Connecticut River is about 10,000 feet.
Many of CSX’s trains simply won’t fit within the West Springfield rail yard because the length of today’s trains often exceeds the physical capacity of a rail yard that was built decades ago.
A solution to this problem
As first proposed on this page in early 2022.
There is a solution to the blocked crossing problem at Front Street.
Local, state, and federal elected officials have attempted to address this problem with CSX for years.
Massachusetts has laws on the books (G.L. c. 160, § 151) that make it illegal for railroads to block crossings for extended periods. However, when challenged, railroads often argue in court that state laws do not apply to them because they are preempted by the numerous federal regulations and statutes governing railroad operations.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides another way to address this problem.
Section 22305 of the BIL established the Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) Grant Program, which is summarized in this FRA fact sheet:
More than $3 billion in federal funding is available to improve railroad crossing safety.
These funds could be used to support the design and construction of an overpass at or near this location.
Footnotes
1 Front Street crossing traffic cont data. Location ID RPA03-325-9933, MassDOT Transportation Data Management System
2 Observations from a surveillance camera on the building at 36 Union Street in Westfield between February 15–18, 2022.
3 “West Springfield CSX Public Forum,” Facebook video, March 22, 2021
Historical timeline (1967 – 2022)
This timeline was included in the assessment that was published in February 2022.
January 13, 1967 | Businesses in West Springfield contacted the Select Board to complain that, “the two railroad track crossings on Front St are blocked at least twice a day, frequently for five to 10 minutes at a time, and occasionally for more than half an hour at a time.” (“Railroad Hit for Blocking Two Crossings,” The Springfield Union)
January 20, 1967 | The railroad [the New York Central] responded within a week with assurances that the, “prolonged blockings of traffic on Front St will cease.” (“Street Blocking will Stop Railroad Says,“ The Springfield Union)
No further coverage of this issue was found in the Springfield newspapers until 2018.
2018
February 1, 2018 | Local residents established a Facebook group called “Agawam/West Side Train Crossing – Train or No Train” to alert each other when the Front Street crossing is blocked.
February 23, 2018 | Mayor William Sapelli of Agawam and Mayor William Reichelt of West Springfield meet to discuss the blocked crossing problems and steps that could be taken to setup warning signs to alert drivers when the crossing is blocked.3
March 2018 | Representative Michael Finn and the mayors of Agawam and West Springfield met with representatives of CSX to discuss the Front Street crossing issue.3
March 21, 2018 | The mayors of Agawam and West Springfield met with Massachusetts Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ashe to discus the Front Street crossing issue.3
March 27, 2018 | The mayors of Agawam and West Springfield met with Congressman Richard Neal at his office in Springfield to discuss issues related to the Front Street crossing.3
June 2018 | The mayor of Agawam met with and MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack to discuss issues related o the Front Street crossing.3
August 13, 2018 | The mayors of Agawam and West Springfield met with Senator Donald Humason on this issue.3
October 26, 2018 | The mayors of Agawam and West Springfield met with MassDOT at the crossing to discuss the issue. Ironically a CSX train stopped and blocked the crossing during the meeting.3
October 31, 2018 | The mayors of Agawam and West Springfield, working together, push CSX to find a solution to the ongoing traffic blockages at the Front Street crossing, as reported by The Republican.
2019
January 19, 2019 | The mayor of Agawam discussed the Front Street crossing issue with Senator Markey at the Massachusetts Municipal Association Meeting.3
April 2018 | The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission publishes the report, “Top High Risk At-Grade Railroad Crossings in the Pioneer Valley.” The reported highlighted the Front Street railroad crossing as one of the highest risk at-grade crossing in the region.
June 2019 | MassDOT installed warning signs at the corners of 2nd Av & Westfield St, Summit Ave & Westfield St, and Ashley and First Street in West Springfield to alert motorists when the crossing is blocked by a train. Similar signs were installed in Agawam.
December 20, 2019 | Federal Railroad Administration launches a web portal for the public to report blocked railroad crossings. The portal is available on this link — fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings/
2021
March 9, 2021 | The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) voted to open an investigation to consider whether CSX Transportation is in violation of G.L. c. 160, § 151. Obstruction of public way by railroad. (the DPU docket for this case is linked in the section below.)
Vote and Order Opening Investigation (PDF)
DPU Docket 21-31 | March 9, 2021
Comments of the Town of West Springfield
By Mayor William C. Reichelt | March 30, 2021
Part 1 / Part 2 (PDF)
Comments of the Town of Agawam (PDF)
By Mayor William P. Sapelli | March 29, 2021
Link to Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Docket 21-31
(enter the docket number [which is 21-31] and select “Go”)
Investigation by the DPU its own motion to consider whether CSX Transportation, Inc. is in Violation of G.L. c. 160, § 151.
March 22, 2021 | West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt hosted a virtual forum to seek public comments regarding the blocked railroad crossing issue at Front Street. (A recording of the forum is available on this link — West Springfield CSX Public Forum)
March 30, 2021 | Congressman Richard Neal issues a Public Statement for the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities’ CSX Hearing regarding the Front Street crossing situation.
July 7, 2021 | The Town of West Springfield Planning Board met to consider CSX’s application to make site improvements at their location at Day Street and Western Avenue. The Chair of the Planning Board said, “There have been several issues with CSX in general, whether it’s blocking the railroad tracks, trash, trucks going up and down Union Street … there’s a lot of animosity with citizens and we as a board hear it constantly, …” CSX’s application was continued until the July 21, 2022 meeting.
July 21, 2021 | After further discussion, CSX’s application for site improvements on its property were approved by the Planning Board.
Timeline (2022 – )
The timeline that follows documents developments after our assessment was published in February 2022.
2022
September 19, 2022 | West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt told Western Mass News that he recently met with engineers to start an effort to develop a proposal for a “flyover” (an overpass) to replace the existing Front Street crossing. The mayor pointed out that such a project, if approved, could take five to ten years to complete.
September 29, 2022 | Agawam Mayor William Sapelli told 22News that Agawam is working with the town of West Springfield on a federal grant application for a project that would replace the at-grade railroad crossing on Front Street (in West Springfield) with a flyover structure.
October 4, 2022 | The Town of West Springfield, in partnership with the Town of Agawam, submitted a grant application to the Federal Railroad Administration for the Front Street Grade Crossing Elimination Project.
The proposed project would eliminate two highway-rail grade crossings (at Front Street and 1st Street) with the construction of an overpass along a new roadway alignment.
December 1, 2022 | According to WesternMassNews, one person was taken to the hospital after a car came in contact with a train at the railroad crossing on Front Street in West Springfield.
The official Accident/Incident Report that was submitted to the FRA indicates that Amtrak train 448 (01) struck an occupied vehicle at the crossing and that there was $2,000 of property damage.
2023
June 30, 2023 | The Federal Railroad Administration awarded more than $570 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program funding to projects in 32 states. The City of West Springfield’s grant application for the Front Street elimination project was not selected for funding in this round of grant awards. (FRA press release, June 5, 2023)
July 11, 2023 | The Front Street crossing was featured in an article about blocked railroad crossing in the New York Times. (“When Trains Block a Road, Local Officials Have Few Options”, The New York Times, July 11, 2023)
August 26, 2023 | Two people were taken to the hospital after a CSX freight train came in contact with a vehicle at the Front Street crossing. The vehicle was pushed approximate 2,000 feet to the west of the crossing by the force of the train. (WWLP-22News)
2024
July 1, 2024 | The Federal Railroad Administration issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Fiscal Year 2023 & 2024 Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. Funding available in this round is $1.1 billion. (FRA press release, July 1, 2024)
Overpass project announcement
On July 24, 2024, Congressman Richard Neal and MassDOT announced that the Front Street at-grade railroad crossing in West Springfield, Massachusetts would be replaced with a flyover (an overpass) over the CSX-owned tracks.
At the time it was said that the planned ~$20 million project would be funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Railway–Highway Crossings (Section 130) Program, state and local sources, and $2 million from the CSX.
“This crossing has posed a number of challenges to the communities of Agawam and West Springfield for several years,” Congressman Richard Neal said. “After advocating with MassDOT and state and local officials, we have delivered a project that will provide the long-term solution residents have advocated for while advancing the Commonwealth’s larger goal of making west-east rail a reality.”
The planned project calls for the construction of an overpass that will connect Front Street and Second Street along a new roadway alignment.
When the overpass is finished, both the Front Street and First Street railroad crossings in West Springfield will be permanently closed.
A recording of the press conference is available on this link,
CSX Flyover Press Conference (23m 56s)
July 29, 2024
Further reading
“Funding announced for flyover at West Springfield Front Street rail crossing”
By James Paleologopoulos | WAMC Northeast Public Radio | July 30, 2024
2025
June 2025 | The MassDOT FY2026-2030 Capital Investment Plan included an amount of $2 million to pay for preliminary engineering and environmental work for the project.
2026
At a meeting hosted by Congressman Neal in Springfield on April 1, MassDOT presented the following slide outlining the current status of the project.
A project that was estimated to cost $20 million in 2024 is now projected to cost $40 million.
The final bullet on the slide suggests that the project is not fully funded at this time, but a potential source of federal funding has been identified.
April 27, 2026 | The Federal Railroad Administration issued a new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program, making $1,146,528,000 in funding available for projects nationwide.
The NOFO can be found at the following link:
https://railroads.dot.gov/crossing-safety-program
This funding round is especially significant. The FRA’s Railroad Crossing Elimination Program was established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides funding through federal fiscal year 2026. As a result, this likely the final opportunity, for the moment, to secure significant funding through this program before the advanced appropriations for the grant program expire.
June 2026 Public Information Meeting
June 25, 2026 | MassDOT hosted a Public Informational Meeting at Town Hall in West Springfield to present and discuss its proposal to replace the Front Street and First Street at-grade railroad crossings with an overpass.
West Springfield Town Hall | June 25, 2026
At the meeting, MassDOT and its consultants presented three concepts for the project.
After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each concept, MassDOT announced that they intend to move forward with Concept B, shown below.
MassDOT also announced that it had recently applied for a $38 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration through its Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.
After the presentation, the floor was opened to questions — first from the many public officials in attendance, and then from members of the general public.
A number of attendees asked about the impact the project could have on commercial and residential properties in the immediate project area. MassDOT said that, at this stage of the project, it has not yet determined the exact impact the project would have on individual properties.
Based on the concept presented, it appears that the largest land takings will be required on either side of the tracks, where the new road alignment will approach the overpass and rise to provide the required 14-foot clearance over the railroad track. Additionally, a number of relatively small parcels of land may be needed for features such as sidewalks.
The next public meeting is expected to be held in the spring of 2027, when MassDOT expects to present the 25% design for the project.
The project remains in the preliminary design stage, and additional opportunities for public input are expected as the design advances.
Further information
Meeting Presentation (PDF)
MassDOT
Meeting presentation concept slides (ulta-high resolution)
MassDOT | Note: The file size is 64 MB
How to Submit a comment about this project to to MassDOT
Video recording of the meeting (1h 7m)
Town of West Springfield
the meeting starts at 06:00, and the Q&A begins at 24:34
Latest information
Federal grant of $30.6 million for the project
NEW – October 30, 2026 | $30.6 million Federal Grant for Final Design & Construction Awarded
The Federal Railroad Administration announced today that it will grant MassDOT up to $30.3 million dollars to support final design and construction grade-separated flyover bridge structure and associated approaches to separate Front Street and First Street CSX-owned Boston & Albany Line railroad corridor in West Springfield.
This project now moves from unfunded to funded, with construction expected to start in 2028. (MassDOT Press Release)
Further details to follow
Planned events in the future
2027
Spring 2027 | Public Meeting to review and discuss MassDOT’s 25% design for the project.
Summer 2027 | Design Public Hearing
2028
Projected start of construction
Further reading
Top High Risk At-Grade Railroad Crossings in the Pioneer Valley (PDF)
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission | April 2019
Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program
Federal Railroad Administration
Impact of Blocked Highway/Rail Grade Crossings (PDF)
Federal Railroad Administration | August 2006
External links
Front and First Street grade crossing elimination project
MassDOT Rail and Transit Division
Project 613945 – West Springfield – Elimination of Two At-Grade Railroad Crossings at Front Street and First Street
MassDOT Highway Division
Front Street Railroad Crossing – video feed (Live)
West Springfield, MA
Agawam/West Side Train Crossing – Train or No Train
Facebook
Page last updated: November 2, 2026