Schumer Calls On Norfolk Southern To Pay For Rail Infrastructure Improvements

Schumer Calls On Norfolk Southern To Pay For Rail Infrastructure Improvements

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on Norfolk Southern President Charles W. Moorman to pay for vital infrastructure improvements in Elmira after its unilateral decision to permit their freight trains to increase their travel speed from 30 to 50 mph. Schumer, who voiced concerns over the increased speeds in populated areas, said that Norfolk Southern needs to do whatever it takes to prevent a derailment and ensure that the city's infrastructure can handle the higher speeds. Elmira officials and citizens believe that several viaducts and overpasses are too old and decayed to accommodate this speed increase.

"If Norfolk Southern is going to have its trains speeding through Elmira, then they need to step up to make sure they roll through safely -- and that the tracks they run on can handle it," Schumer said. "That means moving now to spend the money they have pledged to fix up decaying infrastructure. Some of these trains are carrying hazardous materials and we cannot risk the possibility of an accident if these old overpasses and viaducts can't support this speed. I am glad to see NS step up to the plate, but now they need to follow through."

Schumer said the viaducts that the faster trains would be passing over are 75 years old with little or no maintenance done to the underside. Right now, there is spilled concrete, exposed reinforcing and failed drainage systems all along the system. In a personal phone call between Norfolk Southern representatives and Elmira officials, Norfolk Southern said it would invest $375,000 to improve the infrastructure along the route.

Schumer, along with Elmira Mayor John S. Tonello, said that $300,000 of the $375,000 promised could be leveraged in to $1 million total for improvements. Specifically, $300,000 of the NS contribution could be used as local matching funding to release a $1.25 million federal transportation enhancement grant that is available to the City. In November, the City received a $1.25 million federal Transportation Enhancement grant for the Elmira Promenade Project. The first phase of the project aims to restore the viaduct between Water and Second streets by cleaning it, repairing chipped and cracked areas, applying a modern weather-resistant coating, and improving lighting and signage.

By applying $300,000 of the money Norfolk Southern intends to spend in 2007 to this project, the City would have access to an additional $1 million in federal and local funds. In order to make this work, the City and Norfolk Southern would enter into an agreement whereby Norfolk Southern would contribute $300,000 to the City, which the City would then immediately dedicate to Phase I of the Promenade Project. This would help us fulfill our local portion of the project and give us access to $712,500 of the $1.25 million federal grant.

In his letter, Schumer asked Charles W. Moorman, Chairman, President and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corporation, to ensure that NS follow through quickly and completely on that promise and exceed that amount if repairs warrant. "While I am disappointed that Norfolk Southern will not be reducing the speed of its trains back to the original 30 miles per hour, I am encouraged by your Good Neighbor policies and hope you will follow through by investing in Elmira's future."

Norfolk Southern operates freight-only elevated route through the Elmira community, which sometimes carries hazardous materials. In September, Norfolk Southern announced that it would increase the speed of its trains traveling through Elmira, from 30 mph to 50 mph, in order to remain competitive. That same month, Schumer urged Moorman to send a representative to Elmira to meet with city officials, hear their concerns regarding freight train speed and work with community leaders to find an equitable solution to this situation. In October, a block of Railroad Avenue had to be closed after a piece of concrete fell off a viaduct as a Norfolk Southern train passed overhead. In light of these infrastructural dangers, city officials have expressed concern about the possible risks associated with these higher speeds to rail cars carrying hazardous waste through Elmira.

Freight trains traveling throughout New York State could pose many safety risks. Last month, two tanker cars carrying butane derailed in Gang Mills. Though the tanker cars did not leak the hazardous chemicals, local first responders reported that the cars were highly unstable because the gravel that supports the track had been damaged. Several employees were evacuated from the scene. Had the chemicals leaked, the accident could have been very dangerous. This accident is one of a slew of derailments that have occurred in upstate New York in just the last few weeks.

Schumer is the author of The Rail Crossing and Hazardous Materials Transport Act which would set tougher minimum and maximum fines for fatal accidents and establishes new requirements for investigations, inspections and the use of new safety technology. The legislation aims to crack down on negligent railroad companies and require the broader use of modern technology to protect the public from more fatal crossing and hazardous materials accidents.

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/record.cfm?id=268070&&year=2007&