Select Board hears findings on April rail near-miss, endorses Keolis fixes

LINCOLN — September 19, 2022 — Lincoln officials publicly detail April commuter rail near-miss and corrective plan. Police Chief Kevin Kennedy and Town Administrator Tim Higgins told the Select Board Monday that Train 419 entered the South Great Road crossing at 49 mph after a Keolis maintainer's auto calibration disabled the gate fail-safe; resident Betsy Yates, driving with her daughter, crossed seconds ahead of the train. MBTA Chief Railroad Officer Ryan Holland committed to a five-point fix, including a new protocol requiring trains to come to a "complete stop" at crossings while crews work. Board member Jim Hutchinson pressed for a six-month follow-up, citing a fatal Wilmington crossing case where corrective action lagged. The board separately voted 3-0 to send a $325,000 community center design and project-management request to the Nov. 30 special town meeting, supporting a project last estimated at $26 million to $28 million.