City panel hears complaints about long waits at downtown railroad crossings

The DCN Online TV response: Interesting topic something that has been going on for years and years. The train track not only is the dividing line when it comes to the Twin County and it’s racism but when the train is sitting still Black and Whites can’t cross the tracks. Funny I was in Wilson yesterday on Nash Street and I was like wow Amtrak has the street blocked. However I made a right turn on a street and was able to go around. It will be interesting to see how the problem is solved.

Complaints about CSX freight trains sitting halted for extensive periods of time on the railroad tracks downtown came up during Thursday’s meeting of the Central City Revitalization Panel.

Specifically, Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Farris asked city Public Works Director Brad Kerr why the freight trains, in particular, are allowed to sit downtown and block vehicle crossings for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, with no movement at all.

Kerr was before the downtown improvement and preservation advisory panel to make a presentation about proposed projects in the heart of Rocky Mount.

Kerr spoke briefly about an on-hold, roughly $5.5 million pedestrian crossing that would be an elevated structure above the railroad tracks downtown. The proposed crossing did not remain on a 2021 list to receive federal transportation funding.

After Kerr spoke about the proposed crossing, Farris, who serves on the panel by virtue of his position, brought up the subject of the CSX freight trains.

Kerr replied, “We don’t have any legislative control over that. We have made CSX aware of those concerns. I have had conversations and emails myself with their public liaison.”

Kerr told the panel that the feedback he received is that the Florida-based railroad company, which has a rail yard in the southern part of Rocky Mount, has changed how it operates.

“The trains are longer now and so the only way for them to switch up, because of the length of the trains, is to use part of that track,” Kerr said. “And that seems to be contributing to why the delays are longer than they used to be, from what I understand.” (Read more)