Railroaded Revisited
A few weeks ago, we reported about a South Nashville neighborhood that’s
getting railroaded by the CSX train company. The only way into or out of the small Sadler enclave is to cross a set of CSX-owned train tracks. Problem is, the company often will use the tracks as a parking lot for mile-long freight trains, effectively trapping Sadlerites in the neighborhood or preventing them from getting home for hours at a time. In addition to the inconvenience, one elderly resident almost died when he couldn't get home in time to take his heart medication.
CSX has since met with neighborhood residents and promised change. But according to an email the Scene received from the neighborhood committee today, it isn’t coming fast enough.
Check it out after the jump:
This is part of an email the Sadler Village Neighborhood Association sent to CSX:
"This evening our crossing was blocked again for 40 minutes from 4:55-5:35 p.m. I called the 800 number to notify CSX and was told that the train was blocking our crossing because it was waiting for another train to clear further up the tracks. When the train did move it was about 7 cars short of clearing the crossing. By the way, the crossing number is still not posted on the signs.We were previously assured by CSX that the train would not block our crossing unless it was an emergency. Perhaps the people at Radnor Yard are not aware or are not complying. This is the fifth documented time that the crossing has been blocked since our Oct. 22 meeting."
CSX spokesperson Jane Covington replied with a very long email that included a sincere-sounding apology, gave a few possible explanations and promised to “get this figured out… If I could solve this issue for you guys overnight, I would do it in a heartbeat,” she wrote.
Sadler residents will be meeting with CSX officials again in January. There are other issues surrounding the train giant’s presence in the neighborhood, including dealing with trash and overgrown weeds around the tracks, and proper signage at the crossing.
Comments
This continues to boggle the mind. How hard is it to not park trains at a crossing?
Posted 12/19/2007 at 09:27:33 AMI agree with Steve H, how hard is it not to park a train. Hopefully CSX will continue to meet with the residents to get this solved and it won't take a tradgedy to demonstrate the importance. Tc Weber
Posted 12/19/2007 at 09:58:37 AMI know people who live in that neighborhood and have been stuck behind that train several times. It's a gigantic pain in the ass.
Posted 12/19/2007 at 02:58:09 PMAny one of you spend a day scheduling trains, then come back and let us know how it went.
Posted 12/22/2007 at 03:04:25 PMThis isn’t about scheduling trains, it’s about responsiveness from CSX. The neighbors call the company and the Radnor train yard to report problems and are ignored. I’m sure that scheduling trains is tough but that’s the cost of doing business. CSX gets to cross public thoroughfares and make a profit doing it. What do the Sadlerites get out of the equation?
Posted 12/22/2007 at 07:02:18 PMNobody has the right to block a public right of way. If you can't schedule better than that, you need to close that section of track.
I hate to say it but it looks like it's going to take a tragedy from a delayed ambulance to get this problem solved for real
Posted 12/27/2007 at 09:36:14 PM