Norwich
The row of residential homes on Kendall Station Road lies just yards from the waterway and enjoys an air of tranquility punctuated only by the occasional rattle of trains passing on a track that lies between the street and nearby Route 5.
The rail has become a point of contention recently as residents and train officials have clashed over whether to keep open the northern of two railroad crossings that connect the neighborhood to the state road.
“We’re talking about an old farm crossing at the north end of Kendall Station Road that’s been around since 1911,” said Peter Young, an attorney for the Washington County Railroad Company, a subsidiary of the Vermont Rail System, “and we believe that use by the public and motorists of this old farm crossing is dangerous. There’s a significant risk of collision.”
In filings to the state transportation board, the railroad included police reports and photos indicating that vehicles can get stuck on the tracks, threatening an accident. The northern crossing has no warning lights or safety measures, and sits at the bottom of a slight incline, making it treacherous in the winter.
Neighbors to the crossing, however, say that it is preserved as a right of way in the deeds to at least two privately owned properties, and have expressed concern about what the effect on the neighborhood will be if only one entrance remains.
John Roback, who lives closest to the old farm byway, has filed a petition with the Vermont Transportation Board to reopen the track, which the railroad temporarily closed in February.
“Them closing the tracks has really caused an issue for my home,” he said this week.
Now, where people passing through the neighborhood might once have left through the farm crossing, they turn around in his circular driveway, where his children play, he said.
Roback and other neighbors also have questioned whether the railroad itself has contributed to a less safe environment by increasing the speed at which trains travel through the neighborhood without installing other safety measures.
Vermont Rail System recently made improvements to the track that allow trains to pass at about 25 mph, compared to the 10 to 15 mph at which they traveled before.
“They have the right to speed up if they improve the line, and that’s fine,” said Roback’s wife, Gail Langoloh. “But if it’s a safety issue, that’s not fine.”
Young, who submitted a petition to the transportation board to permanently close the crossing, said he had moved to protect residents and motorists.
“We take our responsibility to operate safely very seriously and acted accordingly in the face of what we considered to be a substantial risk to the public,” he said in an email on Friday. “Some neighborhood residents understood the importance of safety and did not mind the inconvenience, but obviously other residents were not so agreeable.
“In situations where a property owner does not agree that it is appropriate to close a crossing, Vermont statutes do provide for a hearing process with the Transportation Board and we look forward to the opportunity to address these issues next week.”
Next week, the two sides will present their cases before the Vermont Transportation Board, which will consider whether to keep the crossing open or closed.
Residents near the southern crossing, meanwhile, have expressed concern about safety as trains pass more quickly through their part of the neighborhood.
Ernie Ciccotelli, a lawyer who lives near that crossing with his fiancee, said poor visibility and a lack of warning systems there present a safety risk. Already his fiancee’s uncle, whose home is only feet from the tracks, has seen his dogs hit by trains multiple times, Ciccotelli said.
“It’s not adequate,” he said of safety at the southern crossing, which has no bars, bells or lights. “That’s what I would really like to see is a warning light and bell or ringer.”
Ciccotelli acknowledged that the trains were not traveling much faster than the average car, but noted they were much less maneuverable.
“They’re not really roaring through here,” he said, “but the point is they can’t stop. … When they start honking the horn, you don’t have much time to react.”
Roughly two trains pass each day, he said — one headed north, and another back down south.
John Zicconi, the executive secretary for the Vermont Transportation Board, said the meeting next week would convene at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the crossing, and later move to Tracy Hall.
Both sides will have a chance to present their case. Zicconi said a decision from the board the same day would be unlikely.
Rob Wolfe can be reached at rwolfe@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.