“Something has to be done:” Train stopped on tracks for hours stops ambulance headed to crash
SLAUGHTERS, Ky. (WFIE) - Trains on a route from Evansville to Nashville are stopping weekly on the tracks, cutting of the small town of Slaughters for hours at a time.
Slaughters Mayor Chris Winstead says the trains stop for up to 18 hours at a time blocking the main road into their city.
“We’ve had the State Police out here, and they won’t even move for them,” explains the mayor.
Despite the city’s best efforts, Winstead says he feels like there’s not much more they can do.
“We’re a small community. We don’t have a big voice. We do all that we can do, but at the same time, it has to get better,” he says. “Something has to be done.”
Mayor Winstead tells us this all started a few years ago when the train company CSX installed a switch on the tracks right near the street.
“They’re driving 100 miles through here, and every five minutes one of them is going by,” says Slaughters native Ray Wilson.
Wilson says there’s no easy way to get around the trains. The next crossing is miles away.
More than irritating, Slaughters Mayor Winstead says it’s also a safety hazard.
Just days ago, he says an ambulance was unable to get to an accident on the other side of the tracks because of the stopped train.
“Them blocking the tracks was kind of my biggest fear that would happen. The other day it actually happened,” explains long-time Slaughters volunteer firefighter Kara Gardner.
“In those situations, minutes count, so they had to call on other agencies to respond to that accident,” she tells us.
Residents tell 14 News they’ve made multiple calls over a period of several years to a help line for the train company. They say they don’t expect to hear back any time soon.
“They seem to not care about peopl’s opinions and complaints,” says Gardner.
“They are not gonna change. It’ll be like this until the day I die,” adds Wilson.
Officials say the only way CSX will address the issue is if formal complaints are filed.
You can call the customer service hotline at CSX at 1-877-SHIPCSX or use their online complaint form.
14 News reached out to the railroad company CSX for a reply to these claims made by residents and the City of Slaughters.
CSX officials released the following statement:
CSX strives to be a good neighbor to communities where we operate, and we work hard to minimize the impact of railroad operations. We understand that it can be frustrating when trains block road crossings and we make every effort to prevent that from happening, whenever possible. It is important to note that there are times when mechanical and operational issues could result in blocked crossings, as well as when trains stop for mandatory safety inspections, federally-regulated crew changes or to allow another train to safely pass. Our goal is to, safely and efficiently, transport America’s freight and we appreciate the patience of motorists and pedestrians waiting for our trains to pass safely through the area as we serve local businesses and families throughout Kentucky. CSX maintains an open line of communication with local officials and our operations team is committed to reducing occurrences that affect drivers or normal traffic flow.
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