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County Commissioners Seek Solution To Trains Blocking Entire Neighborhoods
March 9, 2016
Local lawmakers are looking for solutions after a stalled CSX train blocked crossings from Becks Lake Road in Cantonment north to McKenzie Road in Cottage Hill Tuesday morning, leaving numerous residents unable to enter or exit their neighborhoods for hours. It was the second time in two months that the crossings were blocked for hours by a train.
Tuesday, Escambia County Commission Steven Barry called for the county and CSX to find a way around completely blocking residents from exiting their neighborhoods and from blocking emergency vehicles that might need to respond.
“The first time we have an ambulance that can’t get to a home and we have someone die from cardiac arrest,” Barry said, “I can’t imagine. It would be terrible,” Barry said. He said that he also hopes CSX will participate in the funding of any possible solution.
Tuesday’s train blockage kept many Cantonment and Cottage Hill residents at home, while others opted to risk climbing through — or even passing their children through — the stopped rail cars.
Commissioner Grover Robinson said during a Tuesday morning commissioner’s meeting that CSX needs to split trains and and open roads. “There’s got to be a way to make that happen,” he said, for public safety.
And Commissioner Wilson Robertson said he thought there was a law on the books in Escambia County to prevent trains from blocking crossings for extended periods of time. But County Attorney Alison Rogers said any such law would not likely be enforceable, if it exists, due to the wide reaching rights of railroad companies.
“The CSX folks are almost like a country unto themselves,” Rogers said. “They have unbelievable federal powers. The best solution for these is outreach and connections. It’s very difficult to enforce things against the railroad.”
Commissioners agree to have County Administrator Jack Brown reach out to CSX for any possible compromise.
Pictured top: An aerial view of the train blocking crossings in Cantonment. Image courtesy Eric McCowan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured below: The train blocks Becks Lake Road in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
34 Responses to “County Commissioners Seek Solution To Trains Blocking Entire Neighborhoods”
I find it hard to believe anyone would be fired for being late to work one time. I would bet that there is a far more serious attendance issue that lead to the termination of employment.
REGARDING:
“One way of stopping the Train from blocking up all the exits is to make a law to limit the number of cars that they can carry.”
Interstate commerce, not regulated by local laws.
David for solutions
When emergencies such as this occur, why not have ECUA open the gates blocking access between becks lake and Gonzalez via Elder’s Lane?
An access road between Eden Lane and Becks Lake road or William’s Ditch Road is another Possibility.
One way of stopping the Train from blocking up all the exits is to make a law to limit the number of cars that they can carry.
I missed 3 hours of work. (unpaid) The day after this there was a house fire and a medical event. I live about 200 yards from the track. The train could have started moving as school children were climbing through the train cars. County commissioners, CSX, State Rep. You better take notice of this.
Cottage Hill area is surrounded on two sides by the tracks, and the river on one. It seems that Quintette Rd would be the only road to connect to for emergency exit. Even though that would cause a longer travel time to take Quintette Rd to Hwy90 and then back to P’cola area, at least it would be an emergency exit. Champion IP owns a lot of land bordering Quintette Rd and back into the Cottage HIll area. Champion is also the reason why the trains block Hwy29 during rush hour. Why not get with Champion and have them help financially to build an overpass on the tracks to their mill across Hwy29 and donate some land for an escape route to Quintette Rd. An overpass on the roads entering the Cottage Hill area is not even in the game since an overpass takes a lot of length to produce. However, there is plenty of road length to incorporate one on Hwy 29 which is an Evacuation Route and a main artery to Pensacola.
The distance from Beck’s Lake Road to McKenzie is 5 1/2 miles by road, Hwy 29 on to 95A. The road and the track run side by side. Alisa, how could the train be 3 1/2 miles long if it blocked all exits from Beck’s Lake Road to Mckenzie? The train was 5 1/2 miles long.
This is sad that people have had to miss work and some folks are now unemployed because of this. This happens way too often. We the people of our community need to stand up and make our voices heard.
Otis I am very sorry to hear about what has happened to you. Best of luck and I hope you get everything situated.
They should have done this a long time ago enough said
Could I have a show of hands who have lived around here all their lives. This train is vital to every thing as far as business wise involed here I.P., Ascend, Port Of Pensacola, concrete plants, asphalt plants, car city etc….. Yes there is problems, like CSX cutting corners for a profit, but there is no quick fix. Be calm and I am sure there will be improvements. As for as Matt says about Fairground Road in Molino I’ve lived here all my life and have not ever seen this problem and I live on Fairground Road. If he needs me to I can show him more ways out of there than he Knows. Chill people. Just saying.
Thinker,
No problem as the victim(s) would be extracted via med flight helicopter.
Of course the bill for such is going to be 10 times more than a regular ambulance.
But they do like to use them a lot anyways.
Remember when CSX was considering replacing the trestle over Escambia Bay, and offered to re-route the whole route farther North trough less populated areas? They could not get the support of State and Local Governments then. Such a change would have turned the present route into Pensacola a spur servicing the port, and local manufacturers. If only our local politicians would have had any fore-site. But what’s new? they don’t have any fore-site now.
This is nice and all but I have already lost my job due to this train incident. Now my attorney will be seeking a solution. This has been a horrible experience, but hopefully things get better.
What if emergency vehicles needed to get to a blocked area to reach a heart attack victim or a child run over by a car of in an ATV accident or whatever. THEN would anybody act?
Park a couple of heavy duty tractors near by. If the train blocks roads for longer than 30 minutes,crank those bad boys up and push it off the track. Then bill the RR company for the work involved and the clean up.
Is this the same track that is supposed to accommodate Amtrak passenger service New Orleans to Orlando?
Hey commissioners, build an overpass. Huffing and puffing wont make the train go away.
The train was 3 1/2 miles long I think that was way too long. Maybe if they didn’t have these trains so long we wouldn’t have so many problems.
Total possibilities:
*Over — a bridge over the crossing for cars or trains
*Under — a tunnel type thingy
*Around — a road on each side of the tracks far enough to get around each possible end of the train
*Through — by splitting the train in case of problem
*Get rid of trains and live without all they good they do.
*Live with current situation with possibly better railroad system maintenance and/or backups
David for considering where to live,
where not to live
Don’t know if it will help the affected residents, but I Googled the Federal Railroad Administration and found the following regional office information:
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Suite 16T20
Atlanta, GA 30303-3104
Phone: 404-562-3800
Fax: 404-562-3830
Hot Line: 1-800-724-5993
The website said one of their functions was to investigate complaints, so it might be worth a call. Or perhaps have them investigate the safety aspect of so many CSX trains having maintenance issues in the last few weeks…
There really is no excuse for not splitting the train at each crossing and moving the rest one boxcar opening per crossing.
Once disconnected, the brakes are activated.
The TV news interviewed a RR worker that said an alarm indicated an overheated wheel bearing on a boxcar “somewhere” and it would take hours to find it and replace it.
They never heard of a hand held IR temperature gun that could tell them which bearing is too hot? For less than $100.
My dad has been an engineer for CSX for almost 40yrs now. They are not suppose to block any main roadway for more than 15mins, however, that’s definitely not always the case. They have to follow the rail masters orders unless in immediate danger to themselves or others! They (CSX) have such control given to them from the federal govt, also including rules & regulations that they must adhere too! Those trains could be carrying anything from, absolutely empty railcars, to explosive chemicals, even as far as “need to know” type cars, & usually the engineers aren’t even “in the know” to their own load at times! Other than if there is “dangerous/hazardous material” …there has to be an answer to this problem ..but getting CSX to budge is likely literally going to take an act of Congress, & then some! I know the aggravation as I’ve been stuck behind many trains blocking roads forever! & I frequently get stuck on 29 at the papermill .. Much more than 15mins!! Hope someone can get something done but don’t expect a miracle!! Sorry I don’t have any good news! However, usually at any main crossing there is an 800# to CSX on the crossing box! Maybe if enough people aggravate them.. But I doubt even that would do much!!
This railroad does what it wants and DOES NOT care about its
actions.
If the county would in force the laws allready on the books and
start writing tickets for blocking these crossing, then
CSX would get the message. Maybe some jail time
for the local trainmaster might get there attention..
LOL county commissioners trying to solve a train issue. How about solving what’s on your plate now. This is rare and because it’s happened twice in two months now it’s an epidemic? When you buy your house you realize, ” hey we live on the other side of a RR track!” Commissioners please finish other projects before you tangle with CSX. Their pockets are deeper and lawyers are smarter. Do you think this hasn’t happened anywhere else in the US? Stop wasting my time and tax dollars on something that will end up costing Escambia miliions of dollars.
The world has changed since trains started running. Tunnels and or Bridges at every major intersection. 29 and hwy 4 is another great example.
THERE IS A DIRT ROAD THAT COULD BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY FROM BECKS LAKE ROAD DOWN TO KATHLEEN IN GONZALEZ..WE USED IT FOR YEARS…ONLY PROBLEM…ECUA HAS LOCKED GATES THRU THEIR PROPERTY AND IS NO LONGER OPEN..ANOTHER ROAD RUNS FROM ELDER LANE TO THE SOUTH..ECUA ALSO LOCKS THAT GATE AS WELL..
The article read this event happened two times in two months. Yet it was two times in two days. I sat at the Quintette road crossing for 45 minutes on Sunday at 11:00.
Had to go up to century and come down from Jay. That wasted an hour and a quarter tank of gas.
Commissioner Wilson Robertson is correct there was an ordinance passed that fined the railroad if they blocked a crossing longer than 20 minutes. The problem is that CSX will claim an emergency but 0345 to 0845 seems like an awful long time.
It is getting rediculous how often they’re blocking intersections. I live in Molino and that train blocks fairground road at Escambia River all the time. Sometimes for no apparent reason. It’s been happening regularly when the school bus has to go down there and then it can’t get back out and parents are having to get their kids and go under the train to be able to leave. Most of the time it is not due to a breakdown. It’s just sitting there. It happens all the time. Sometimes more than once a week. Something has to be done to make them move their trains after a certain period of time so the rest of the world can go on with their day. It’s not all about them.
We had a train blocking the entrance to Industrial Blvd in Milton for nearly an hour yesterday afternoon. One if our customers questioned the CSX worker walking down the train was told there was a problem with the train and if they tried to move it could derail.
Don’t know if someone was blowing smoke but there must be something wrong to have this happen so often
I see part of the problem as the way Cantonment evolved. A community with a paper mill sitting right slap in the middle of it is something that I have see no where else in this world. I drive through and I have to ask “what came first, the mill or the town.
The logistical support provided by CSX to the mill, creates problems such as the blocking of highway 29, which over the years has seen a steady increase in it’s volume of traffic. An overpass in Cantonment would aleviate (alleviate) this problem.
The fact that there are no alternate access routes in and out of Cottage Hill and Beck’s Lake, show that no address has ever been made of this condition, a
condition that has obviously existed for decades.
It would appear that the population (voters) in these areas affected, has reached a level that the commission can no longer ignore, as for CSX, I am sure that they want to maintain good relations, owing to the liability of public relations and public anger, relative to the state of their physical assets in proximity to these communities.
I would suggest purchasing right of ways and building alternate means of entrance and egress for these communities?
“They have unbelievable federal powers….”
Then the county commission needs to be speaking with the federal government, and not just the commission, but all who were effected. Jeff Miller would be a good place to start, since he’s the in the U.S. House from our district.
I hope that County Administrator Jack Brown can convince the CSX folks that what happened yesterday was far more than “a little inconvenience” for Cottage Hill residents. It is obvious that the trains passing through now are much longer than they used to be. Never before has one of these trains blocked ALL of the access points. This train had to be 5+ miles long. We residents can adjust as long as one or two of the exits are open. Although CSX cannot be forced into a compromise, they might just listen to reason. I sure hope so…….