Over the past few years, the average length of trains has been increasing. Per reporting by the Associated Press, the average length of trains increased by 25% from 2008 to 2017, and by 2021 some train lengths were reported at over two and a half miles long. As described by the Association of American Railroads, “Freight volumes have become more concentrated along fewer, more efficient rail corridors.”
Attention has been drawn to the issues arising from these increasing lengths; the most common issue, and one such issue noted by members of the Ware County community, is the blocking of multiple rail crossings.
Citizen Lorenzo Wilson recounted his frustrations, noting trains have, for several years, blocked multiple crossings for hours.
“They’ve blocked all the way across the main street, State Street, on down, you’ll see they’ve got it blocked off,” he said. These blockings of course often force him to reroute.
“I have to get on my bike, and I have to come all the way to the Coca-Cola plant.”
Apart from blocking average traffic, one concern with crossings being blocked is of course the blocking of emergency services. Waycross City Fire Chief Jim Blackburn stated that city fire services have not experienced any major disruptions from such blockages, as it is something the city plans for.
“It’s something we keep in mind,” Blackburn said. He elaborated that the city’s four fire stations are positioned so at least one will be able to respond to a call, should crossings be blocked. In the event a truck responding to a call encounters a blocked crossing, Blackburn stated they will either reroute or call another station. Perry Blackburn, Interim Chief of Ware County Emergency Medical Services was more critical of the issues.
“For many years, Emergency Medical Service units have experienced response delays when trains obstruct crossings throughout the area,” he said in a statement.
“When crossings are blocked, ambulances are often forced to detour several or more miles to reach patients. In emergency medicine, minutes matter. These detours can delay interventions for medical emergencies and traumatic emergencies.”
The interim chief reiterated EMS’s efforts to serving the community, saying, “We remain committed to providing the highest level of care possible and continue working to identify solutions that improve response times for the citizens we serve.”
As for some potential relief to blocked crossings, the Journalsee Herald spoke with county manager James Shubert about two new overpasses currently in development. One is set to be built on State Street-US 1, with the notice to proceed expected by the end of the month.
The second overpass, planned on Albany Avenue, has yet to complete its Level 2 environmental survey, but Shubert stated the project is expected to go to bid in early 2027. Shubert stated the purpose of these overpasses is specifically to “reduce time at the train tracks.”
In a January interview with ABC First Coast News, Waycross City Manager Ulysses Rayford said, “The trains are impossible to ignore,” and “This has been a difficult decision to mitigate.”
The Waycross Journal- Herald spoke with a CSX representative for comment. The representative pointed out the size of the Waycross Rice Yard as one of the largest rail yards in the Southeast, processing 2,800 rail cars a day. The representative also delivered an official statement that highlighted Waycross’s role as a rail hub “connecting the north and south.”
“CSX strives to be a good neighbor to communities where we operate, and we work hard to minimize the impact of railroad operations,” the official statement read. “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.”
The statement also said that “CSX maintains open lines of communication to identify and determine how best to manage crossings where challenges exist.”
“CSX deeply values its longstanding partnership with the city and residents of Waycross and looks forward to continuing it. CSX operations teams actively work to reduce the occurrences of blocked crossings that affect drivers or normal traffic flow,” the statement concluded.
