DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH BLOCKED RAILROAD CROSSINGS
Just days after Canadian National Railway (CN) employees disengaged grade-crossing warning devices at Stuenkel Road in University Park last Friday, causing the tragic death of 26-year-old Katie Lunn, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) demanded that CN explain discrepancies in its report of railroad crossing blockages caused by the railroad. (As background, last year, the STB required CN to report every blockage lasting 10 minutes or more as a condition of its approval of CN's recent acquisition of the EJ&E railroad lines, which run from Waukegan, Illinois to Gary, Indiana).
In CN's report to the STB for the months of November and December 2009, it listed only 14 instances of grade crossings blockages for 10 minutes or more. However, an audit of CN's own equipment reported blocked grade crossings in 1,457 instances at 85 different crossings along the former EJ&E lines during that same two month period.
A railroad crossing is a place where a street or highway crosses railroad tracks either at grade (where the street or highway and the railroad are at the same elevation) or by a separation of grades. It may also apply to locations where railroad tracks cross a roadway or sidewalk. Typically, railroad companies own, install and maintain railroad tracks, the rocky bed around and under the tracks (referred to as ballast), and the traffic control devices on either side of the tracks. When numerous freight and commuter trains occupy train tracks that cross a street or highway, a blocked railroad crossing results.
The recent events surrounding CN are particularly concerning because motorists and pedestrians depend on railroads to operate and maintain crossings. When railroad warning systems malfunction due to negligence, the public suffers the consequences. Also, blocked crossings, like those caused by CN, cause severe traffic congestion and can lead to accidents involving numerous cars and pedestrians.
The attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll are experienced at handling railroad injury cases. If you have been involved in a train accident in any way, you may be eligible for compensation. You may also have a potential train accident lawsuit if you were involved in an accident caused by a train or railroad company, such as a multi-car pile-up. Contact us at (312) 676-7222, or fill out the contact form to set up a personal consultation.
