Stopped trains on NS Chicago line

Stopped train: Several streets

Olmsted Falls Police alerted Norfolk Southern Railway at 2:46 p.m. Dec. 10, 2022 that one of its trains was stopped and blocking four crossings. The railway company had no information as to why the train was stopped.

Police posted signage to alert motorists. Norfolk Southern then contacted the city at 3:25 p.m. and said the train should start moving and clear the area in about 20 minutes. The train was moving at 3:57 p.m.

The pattern of blocked crossings in Olmstead Falls has a troubling history; this is a management failure, for which NS pays a rich price in goodwill, as has been seen in other matters not directly related to these practices.

When Mr. Crane was CEO at CR, he was attentive and demanded that efforts be directed toward avoiding inconvenience to the public; the above examples rise to a threat to public safety.

In earlier times, if you held an OCS (Office Car Special) on a grade crossing track circuit - even for a "momentary" crew change - you would be directly and sternly forewarned against repeating the practice.

As has been said: "It's axiomatic that management will elicit the behavior they are known to overlook"!!