Train Engineers Ask County To Close Crossing
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Kosciusko County Commissioners were asked Tuesday to help close a dangerous railroad crossing by requesting Build Indiana funds.
Representatives from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers told commissioners the railroad crossing on CR 50W, north of CR 1350N and near the Dome Pipeline terminal north of Milford, is an accident waiting to happen.
To prevent a tragedy, the commissioners should apply for the $564,000, from the state's Build Indiana Fund, that it will take to close the crossing and build an alternate access road to Ind. 15 north of the CSX railroad line, the engineers said.
"We have been adamant over the last eight or nine years about closing that crossing. We are very serious," said Bill Verdon. "We've had so many close calls there."
The Indiana Department of Transportation ordered the crossing closed in March 1997. But closing the crossing would cut off access to Ind. 15 for the tankers of the Dome Pipeline propane facility. Dome sued to keep the crossing open and a stay was issued by the courts in June.
INDOT has since ordered that crossing lights be installed, but the BLE says that still would not provide a sufficient margin of safety.
According to Steve Brunz of the BLE, the terrain around the crossing - it is located between two hills - contributes to the hazardous condition, and the crossing lights are only minimally effective.
"Flashers give you a false since of security, and if we can't get the crossing closed, gates at least need to be installed," Brunz said.
What poses the greatest danger is the high volume of propane tanker trucks leaving the Dome Pipeline facility that use the crossing.
"It is imperative that this crossing is closed. When there are collisions when tankers are involved - no one walks away," Brunz said.
Trains are traveling between 60 and 70 miles per hour because of the grade of the hills on either side of the crossing. The devastation that could be created from a serious train-tanker collision would be massive, according to Mitch Barse of the BLE.
"If we ever have a derail due to a collision there and some of it goes projectile into the pipeline, it's going to look like Beirut," he said.
Verdon said there was originally a joint agreement between the county, Dome Pipeline and CSX Railroad to close the crossing, but the agreement fell through over funding for an alternate route to Ind. 15. He said INDOT officials have indicated Build Indiana funds could be used, but the request would have to come from the commissioners.
"The commissioners have supported this project before, and I don't see why we shouldn't support it now," said commissioner Eddie Creighton. "But we need to get the funding."
The commissioners took the matter under advisement and will investigate support for the Build Indiana grant with state legislators.
"In order for this to work, we'll need someone in Indianapolis to carry the ball for us," said county attorney Mike Miner. [[In-content Ad]]
The Kosciusko County Commissioners were asked Tuesday to help close a dangerous railroad crossing by requesting Build Indiana funds.
Representatives from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers told commissioners the railroad crossing on CR 50W, north of CR 1350N and near the Dome Pipeline terminal north of Milford, is an accident waiting to happen.
To prevent a tragedy, the commissioners should apply for the $564,000, from the state's Build Indiana Fund, that it will take to close the crossing and build an alternate access road to Ind. 15 north of the CSX railroad line, the engineers said.
"We have been adamant over the last eight or nine years about closing that crossing. We are very serious," said Bill Verdon. "We've had so many close calls there."
The Indiana Department of Transportation ordered the crossing closed in March 1997. But closing the crossing would cut off access to Ind. 15 for the tankers of the Dome Pipeline propane facility. Dome sued to keep the crossing open and a stay was issued by the courts in June.
INDOT has since ordered that crossing lights be installed, but the BLE says that still would not provide a sufficient margin of safety.
According to Steve Brunz of the BLE, the terrain around the crossing - it is located between two hills - contributes to the hazardous condition, and the crossing lights are only minimally effective.
"Flashers give you a false since of security, and if we can't get the crossing closed, gates at least need to be installed," Brunz said.
What poses the greatest danger is the high volume of propane tanker trucks leaving the Dome Pipeline facility that use the crossing.
"It is imperative that this crossing is closed. When there are collisions when tankers are involved - no one walks away," Brunz said.
Trains are traveling between 60 and 70 miles per hour because of the grade of the hills on either side of the crossing. The devastation that could be created from a serious train-tanker collision would be massive, according to Mitch Barse of the BLE.
"If we ever have a derail due to a collision there and some of it goes projectile into the pipeline, it's going to look like Beirut," he said.
Verdon said there was originally a joint agreement between the county, Dome Pipeline and CSX Railroad to close the crossing, but the agreement fell through over funding for an alternate route to Ind. 15. He said INDOT officials have indicated Build Indiana funds could be used, but the request would have to come from the commissioners.
"The commissioners have supported this project before, and I don't see why we shouldn't support it now," said commissioner Eddie Creighton. "But we need to get the funding."
The commissioners took the matter under advisement and will investigate support for the Build Indiana grant with state legislators.
"In order for this to work, we'll need someone in Indianapolis to carry the ball for us," said county attorney Mike Miner. [[In-content Ad]]