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East Chicago and Arcelor-Mittal Indiana Harbour steelworks and Hammond East Side yards, Indiana, March 2017.
Steve Knight/FlickrMarissa Meador – Indiana Capital Chronicle
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration announced a $21 million grant Monday to help Indiana make railroad crossings safer. The grant follows a Propublica article from April that detailed the dangers of stopped trains in places like Hammond, Indiana, which often force kids to climb over the tracks to get to school and prevent first responders from getting to emergencies in time.
In Hammond, which is near Chicago — the busiest train hub in the country — trains stay motionless for hours or days, often spanning five or six intersections. Those who choose to climb over rail cars to cross face the risk of a sudden start, and Propublica reporters claim they witnessed trains in Hammond move without warning.
Still, the issue of stopped trains is a nationwide problem. Just last year, there were more than 30,000 reports of blocked crossings submitted to the FRA and more than 2,000 highway-rail crossing collisions according to a press release.
“Every year, commuters, residents, and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad crossings — and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a press release. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and resources for American families.”
Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, a community close to Hammond.
Major railroad companies have faced criticism as they report soaring profits amid disaster, like Norfolk Southern’s train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals in an Ohio community earlier this year. Norfolk Southern, which reported a 13% increase in revenue from the end of 2021 to the end of 2022, is the same company that frequently blocks intersections in Hammond.
The $21 million grant will fund five projects in Indiana, including Hammond, Gary, Schererville, Peru and Wells County. Proposed safety improvements range from the elimination of some railroad crossings to a road overpass. Some of the projects are supplemented by other federal funds, state transportation funds, railroad companies and local governments. The grant is just a piece of a total $570 million in funding to approve railroad safety nationwide.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com. Follow Indiana Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter.
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