ATLANTA — Atlanta residents are pleading with a rail company to get on the right track and keep its trains from blocking crossings for days.
Neighbors in the city's westside said it's annoying, inconvenient and a safety risk. They paint a picture of trains blocking intersections for hours, loud horns blowing in the early morning hours and neglected lots.
It's been an issue for decades near Ezra Church Drive NW and Chappell Road NW, according to neighbors.
"The blockages really impact our elderly, our seniors in this community," Tim Brown, a concerned neighbor, explained. "It's not just about traffic but access to emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and police cars."
Resident and business owner Donna Jones said she had to help save a child because a stalled train was blocking emergency vehicles from getting there.
"A grandmother comes to you with her grandbaby, four or five months old, choking and doesn't know what to do," she said. "You call 911 and they can't get there in time."
And it's not just a problem in Atlanta. Last summer, the 11Alive Investigates team discovered a 60% increase in complaints about blockages across Georgia compared to the year before.
Data from the Federal Railroad Administration from the last 12 months alone (April 8, 2022 - April 6, 2023) shows there's been more than 1,300 reports of trains blocking crossings in the state. About 94% of all the complaints were due to stationary trains. And nearly 23% of the complaints said the blockages lasted anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour.
Data 11Alive examined showed the top five counties where the complaints came from within the last year:
- Henry
- Monroe
- Fulton
- Chatham
- Ware
As for cities, Atlanta is included in the top five:
- McDonough
- Forsyth
- Waycross
- Atlanta
- Savannah
While 37 states have laws limiting how long trains can sit on the tracks, Georgia isn't one of them – even though it has the largest rail network in the southeast.
11Alive reached out to CSX to ask if it plans to do anything to remedy the issue where residents complained in the Atlanta area. Below is the full statement from the company:
"We are aware of the challenges that exist in Hunter Hills and understand our responsibility to be good stewards of the communities through which we operate. CSX is committed to working with Rep. Mainor and we will continue to explore ways to keep lengthy crossing blockages from occurring while maintaining safe and efficient operations."