LONGMEADOW – Cindy Cowles, the sister of Warren Cowles, who was killed by an Amtrak train on March 14, 2017, said, “I’ve waited for this day for a long time.” Work is to begin in April 2019 on installing signals and safety equipment at the intersection where Cowles lost his life.

He was the fifth person to lose his life at the Birnie Road rail crossing since 1975.
She was among the many people gathered at the intersection not far from the Department of Public Works yard on Oct. 19.

State Sen. Eric lesser described the intersection as “very, very dangerous” and at the announcement an Amtrak train came barreling through the crossing, underscoring Lesser’s point.

Cowles lost his life while he was backing up his snowplow during the spring blizzard. Blinded by the snow he was unaware the train was coming.

Lesser said the effort to get the signals installed started 40 years ago. MassDOT has allocated $700,000 to Amtrak to pay for the signals, representing 90 percent of the cost. Lesser explained there were three different jurisdictions that had to be involved in the effort: Amtrak owns the track, the crossing is controlled by the state and the road is Longmeadow’s.

As such both Congressman Richard Neal, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey assisted in making the project possible, Lesser said.
Mark Gold, the chair of the Select Board said the project has been “long overdue.”

Town Manager Stephen Crane said that Cindy Cowles “wouldn’t let this fall off the radar screen.”

Cowles in turn thanked Republican reporter Greg Saulmon for his series of articles about the intersections and its history.

Lesser noted the importance of the work as the area is an active neighborhood, there is increasing rail service on the line and attracts more and more people because of the Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge.