concerning railroad crossing

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

Members of the Troy City Council will consider closing the East Walnut Street railroad crossing to regular traffic at its meeting Tuesday night.

At 5 p.m. in the council chambers at Troy City Hall, a public hearing will be held for the consultation of a request by CSX Railroad to vacate that crossing.

The original public hearing was scheduled for May 22, but council members feared a change in the meeting schedule might have caused confusion, so another one was set.

Council President John Witherington said CSX approached the city about closing the railroad crossing to create "smoother flow of railroad traffic" through the city.

If approved, the work will include removal of the grade railroad crossing at Walnut Street and the installation of a new switch.

Mayor Jimmy Lunsford said CSX has reported the closure will prevent trains from having to stop in the city limits unless they are changing cars. The new switch is supposed to speed up train travel through the city, preventing long delays at railroad crossings.

"In this particular case, I think we need to keep an open mind," Lunsford said.

The mayor said his understanding was the new switch would give train engineers advanced warning while they are still outside of the city limits so they would know whether or not the track was clear. That notice would allow them to slow down and time their clearance time and cause fewer delays.

Anyone interested in voicing opinions on the matter is encouraged to attend the public hearing.

Additional information concerning the request can be gained by calling the city’s Planning Department at 566-0177 or visiting Troy City Hall.