Massachusetts shuts down Great Barrington railroad project after worker dies near Sheffield

GREAT BARRINGTON — The state has shut down its railroad project pending a “safety review” of the contractor it hired for the work after an employee was run over by equipment on the tracks Friday, Aug. 4 and later died of his injuries.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which owns the Berkshire Line used by Housatonic Railroad Co., has halted work to the track by contractor Middlesex Corp., DOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard wrote in response to questions.

Multiple police and agencies are investigating the apparent accident, including the Federal Railroad Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and Massachusetts State Police attached to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.

The accident happened just after 10 a.m. on the tracks in what police said was a remote area near the Sheffield town line that was hard to access. It required aid from firefighters and police in two towns to reach the worker and have him airlifted to the hospital.

Authorities have not released the identity of the victim.

Middlesex did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nor did Housatonic Railroad Co., which runs freight on the line.

NTSB investigators were at the scene Saturday, Aug. 5 said agency spokesperson Jen Gabris, adding that a preliminary report about the cause of the accident is expected in about 30 days. Investigation reports by the Federal Railroad Administration are usually completed within six months, William Wong, an agency spokesperson wrote in an email.

The Journal occasionally publishes articles from The Berkshire Eagle.