CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY EMERGENCY SIGNS TOO SMALL
Part of the agreement that permitted Canadian National Railway (CN) to acquire the 198-mile EJ&E freight, which runs in an arc from Waukegan, Illinois to Gary, Indiana, required the installation of signs that prominently displayed emergency information including emergency phone numbers and information identifying crossing markers to "enable drivers to report accidents, malfunctioning warning devices, stalled vehicles or other dangerous conditions."
Recently, the suburban coalition called The Regional Answer to Canadian National, or TRAC, opposed to CN’s increased rail activity in their towns has complained that the signs are so small that drivers cannot read the information on the signs from their vehicles. The acquisition has been riddled with opposition in fact. Earlier this year, the SurfaceTransportation Board (STB) demanded that CN explain discrepancies in its report of railroad crossing blockages caused by the railroad.
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. In many of the affected towns, students are required to traverse these railroad tracks daily. When railroad warning systems malfunction due to negligence, the public suffers the consequences. Many train accidents and derailments could be prevented by proper maintenance of trains and crossing guards, as well as by railroad employees’ following of proper procedures.
