Stopped trains on NS Chicago line

Been reading stories from the Cleveland Plain Dealer/Ohio.com where residents in North Olmsted, Ohio are upset
with Norfolk Southern trains stopped on the tracks during morning rush hour, etc...

It seems Norfolk Southern likes to lean the blame towards the crews and not the dispatching of their own system.

They block streets for crew changes per NS. You would think a crew change would occur before North Olmsted and not in Berea which hampers residents trips to work and school in the morning.

I guess PSR has lengthened the trains.

https://www.cleveland.com/community/202 ... otter.html

I've also heard about recrews at CP 285/Vickers, which is about 3 miles east of Toledo. Again, this ties up village streets and unnecessarily delays Amtrak's CAPITOL and LAKE SHORE LIMITED. The train dispatchers merely do as they are told. I have not heard of CSX moving crew changes to outside of their yards.
Andy

On Friday 11/19, I had occasion to be at Olmsted Falls (which is the 1st community west of Berea on the NS (x-CR, PC, NYC mainline) and found all of the xgs in that town blocked by an intermodal train stopped on the controlled siding. The nearest available detours are Barrett Rd. in Berea and Fitch Rd. to the west. Both detours are about 4 miles in length.

Going to Fitch Rd. overpass, I observed the engines of the stopped train at the old (replaced) Fitch Rd. grade xg.

Had the train stopped at the next xg west (Bronson Rd.), all of the xgs in the Falls would have been cleared.

I don't know how long before the train proceeded, but it was less than the 6+-hour blockage which occurred a week previously.

Aside from disrupting the school bus routes and complicating any emergency response runs, there is the additional issue of NS not notifying the local emergency dispatch centers of the blockade. Fortunately, that did not result in complication of any calls for police, fire, or EMT services. However, should that occur, NS could be held liable.

More of the same in Olmsted Falls. Also, once in a while they will block McCracken Road in Garfield Hts just north of the Maple Hts Intermodal Yard in the morning during rush hour on the Pittsburgh Line. It sucks.

https://www.cleveland.com/community/202 ... otter.html

No disrespect but stopping a train for a crew change on crossings that will block motorists, school busses and emergency vehicles during rush hour is not exactly a precise decision. How does this fit in precision scheduled railroading (PSR)?

It does not!

And Norfolk Southern communicating this to a government agency is just an excuse for something else that I call bad planning.

Yes, more of the same! Read the entire blotter as there were train stoppages from December 2nd to December to
December 7th.

Here is the headline from Cleveland.com:

"Stopped train causes five-hour traffic snarl during rush hour: Olmsted Falls Police Blotter"

https://www.cleveland.com/community/202 ... otter.html

Eastbound NS crew changes on the Chicago Line should occur at Old Fitch Road west of the Fitch Road bridge. These trains would not bother the busy crossings closer to Olmsted Falls proper. Thats about 2.5 miles to the west of Berea.

Norfolk Southern with more stopped trains in Olmsted Falls.

(Fair Use Doctrine)

"Stopped train: Columbia Road

Police received calls at 8 p.m. Jan. 17 that the railroad track crossings were blocked at Brookside, Columbia and Lewis roads. The Norfolk Southern Railway was contacted but no one could explain the reason for the stopped train. The city gave three citations to the railway. All crossings were open at 10:33 p.m.

Stopped train: Mapleway Drive

Police were called at 6:52 a.m. Jan. 18 to assist in getting a school bus to Bagley Road since a stopped train blocked several railroad crossings in the city. The Norfolk Southern Railway told police there was a crew working on the train at 8:12 a.m., however, other crossings then became blocked. The railway could not give a time when the train would move. The train cleared the area at 9:15 a.m."

Unbelievable.

CSX also:

Railroad flashers: Sprague Road

CSX railroad gates were down and lights flashing at 3:35 a.m. March 7, 2022. There was no train in sight. Police reported it to the railway company.

Railroad crossings: Brookside Drive

All Norfolk Southern railroad crossings were blocked at 10:25 a.m. March 8, 2022. The railway company was contacted. The train started moving but it stopped again at 10:34. Norfolk Southern said it would be another 30-45 minutes. They were “working some cars.” The crossings were cleared by 12:22 p.m.

Railroad tracks: Mapleway Drive

All Norfolk Southern Railway crossings were blocked at 4 p.m. March 8, 2022. Olmsted Falls Police advised the railway about the stoppage. It told the city the train was waiting on a crew. The train would hopefully move within the hour. All crossings were cleared at 4:42 p.m.

Norfolk Southern

Railroad crossings: Columbia Road

Police were out with a train at 3:37 p.m. March 27, 2022 that was blocking several railroad crossings. The only one open was Mapleway Drive. The engineer told the officer the train was trying to build up air and that would take about 30 minutes. The city will cite the train since it was not an emergency. The train began moving at 7:16 p.m.

Stopped train: Lewis Road

A stopped train at 12:25 p.m. March 28, 2022 blocked the railroad crossing at Lewis Road. The city advised Norfolk Southern Railway about the situation. It informed the city it would be there for at least an hour. The officer went to the station to write a report and cite the railway. The train began moving at 2:06 p.m.

Stopped train: Lewis Road

A train blocked the Lewis Road railroad crossing at 12:47 p.m. March 30, 2022. The Mapleway Drive crossing was open. Norfolk Southern Railway was contacted. It said the train was having power issues. It gave no estimated time when the issue would be resolved. The train began moving slowly at 12:50 p.m. but it now blocked Mapleway, Brookside and Columbia crossings. The crossings were up at Lewis and Brookside at 1:08 p.m. A woman contacted police and was upset with the situation and a semi truck that was turning around. A CERT member was contacted who helped direct traffic. Someone went to Columbia and Cook road intersection to stop traffic. All crossings were open at 2:48 p.m.

...and it continues...

Stopped train: Columbia Road

A stopped train at 8:38 a.m. Aug. 23, 2022 blocked the Columbia and Lewis roads crossings.The train was also blocked Brookside and Mapleway. It began moving very slowly. It was noted in the police log that if the train moved 20 feet, the Mapleway Drive crossing would be cleared. Road closed signs were put out at 9:11 a.m. Police helped a few semi-trucks turn around on the north side of the tracks. The city contacted Norfolk Southern Railway again and were advised the train would move in about 30 minutes. That was at 9:50 a.m. This was the third blocked crossing incident during the week.

On Friday 8/26, had lunch at the Olmsted Falls Family Restaurant on Columbia Rd. just south of the NS and watched a westbound freight stopped on the siding blocking Columbia and Lewis Rds.

Rear end of the train just clear of Berea CP. Head end had room to clear Brookside if a cut was made to clear Columbia.

Train had been there for more than 2' before we arrived.

Later that afternoon, another NS train blocked both the Eastland Rd and Sheldon Rd xgs for an extended period.

And any hopes for corrective action are halted by the court decisions that only the Federal authorities can limit the length of blockages, not states or communities.

Well, if the railroad was there first... which I'm pretty certain is still the case on that line, the city's only available recourse is to do a grade separation.

Three trains block traffic within two days, one for 14 hours: Olmsted Falls Police Blotter

Stopped train: Northern tracks

Police alerted Norfolk Southern Railway at 10:12 a.m. Aug. 26, 2022 a train was blocking several railroad track crossings. The railway contacted the conductor to determine the issue. It could not give police an estimated time they would be cleared. The city placed road closed signs at Lewis and Columbia roads. The railway called at 1:14 pm. and said the train was stopped due to a train/car crash in Erie, Pennsylvania. All trains had to stop. A new crew was en route, but it would take two to three hours to arrive. The crossings were still blocked at 6:27. A crew was to arrive from Toledo at an undetermined time. The city contacted the railway again at 10:23 p.m. for an update. The railway said there was a fatal accident in Sandusky and had to reroute the dispatched train crew to another train. However, all company workers reached their allotted work time. No other crews were available. The railway was unable to give an estimated time when the train would move. The city responded by telling the railway to contact it when a crew was en route, so the city could “return to functioning properly.” During this entire time police helped semi-trucks and cars to turn around at the crossings. The train began moving at 1:20 a.m. Aug. 27.

Stopped train: Northern tracks

Police reported a stopped train at 9:23 a.m. Aug. 25, 2022 blocking four railroad crossings. The train began moving at 9:27. Norfolk Southern Railway was contacted. All tracks were cleared at 9:31 a.m.

Stopped train: Northern tracks

Police reported a train stopped at 1:54 p.m. Aug. 25, 2022 and blocked railroad crossings at Columbia and Lewis roads. The train began moving at 2:07 and cleared all crossings at 2:10 p.m.

Assistance: Bagley Road

Amtrak contacted Olmsted Falls Police at 4:26 a.m. Sept. 9, 2022 about an irate man on the train. Amtrak officials believed the man may have stolen something. The train stopped. Police walked the man off the train. They gave him a courtesy ride to the airport.

*I guess NS and Amtrak dispatchers have developed a nice relationship with Olmsted Falls PD dispatchers.

OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio

Hazard: Columbia Road

Traffic stoppages at railroad crossings usually occur when trains are stopped across the tracks. This time, it was a car that had stalled on the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks at 7:13 p.m. Nov. 10, 2022.

Police contacted the railway about the situation. An eastbound train was heading toward the car. The railway said the train was trying to stop, but it might take up to two minutes. Police noted that a tow truck was on its way to remove the car.

The railway then said all train traffic was stopped in the area.

All businesses in the area were evacuated as a precaution. A tow truck removed the car from the tracks at 7:40 p.m. The motorist was cited for failure to maintain reasonable control of the vehicle.

Stopped train: Several crossings

A Norfolk Southern Railway train blocked the Brookside, Columbia and Lewis Road railroad crossings at 4:39 a.m. Nov. 10, 2022.

At 4:44 a.m., the railway advised police that the train had stopped to allow an Amtrak train to go in front of it. The railway told police at 5:52 a.m. that its train should be moving now. All crossings were cleared at 6:04 a.m.