(The following article by Betsy Gilliland was posted on the Augusta Chronicle website on February 1.)
GRANITEVILLE, S.C. — The Norfolk Southern railroad will realign its tracks to install new flashing lights and gates at several downtown railroad crossings, officials announced Tuesday.
The $1.3 million safety upgrades come on the heels of two train-related disasters in the town – a 2004 collision between a car and a train that killed five Avondale Mills Inc. employees, and the train collision and chlorine spill that killed nine people and injured hundreds more in January 2005.
“It’s what needs to be done. Everyone agreed,” said Robin Chapman, a Norfolk Southern spokesman who could not recall another instance in South Carolina when railroad tracks have been relocated.
The decision came after months of discussions among members of Aiken County’s state legislative delegation; Norfolk Southern; Avondale Mills, a textile company at the heart of town; and the South Carolina Department of Transportation, in addition to the Federal Highway and Railroad administrations.
“It is a bit unusual to move tracks. It’s not unheard of,” Mr. Chapman said.
The town’s two fatal accidents were catalysts for the project, said state Rep. Roland Smith, R-Langley, who is chairman of the county legislative delegation.
However, he added, his efforts to improve railroad safety in Graniteville date back to 1998, when he started trying to reduce train speeds through the community.
“We’ve been working to get everybody to the table. … Things like this don’t come to pass overnight,” Mr. Smith said.
Officials plan to install at least four sets of flashing lights and gates, including at the Ascauga Lake Road crossing where the 2004 train-car wreck occurred.
That crossing has flashing lights to warn automobile traffic of oncoming trains, but it does not have guard rails.
“Sometimes it takes a tragedy to spur people on,” said state Rep. Robert “Skipper” Perry, R-Aiken. “This thing probably should have been done years ago.”
The proposed upgrades are supposed to get under way in the next year and should take 18 months to complete, officials said.
Norfolk Southern is funding $312,000 of the project; the state Department of Transportation is contributing $600,000; and the Aiken County Transportation Committee will contribute $350,000.
In all, Norfolk Southern is realigning about two-thirds of a mile of track near Canal Street, from Marshall Street north and past Ascauga Lake Road to South Carolina Highway 191.
The realignment will provide more room for gates at the Ascauga Lake Road crossing, which is cramped between Canal Street and a canal that runs parallel to the street.
Moving the tracks toward the canal is the only way to make room for two crossing arms without seizing private land, Mr. Smith said.
“There will be no right-of-way acquisition,” he said. “People were worried that they would lose property.”
The improvements “will save people from having to cross the railroad so many times to get somewhere,” Mr. Perry added, noting that traffic in Graniteville is expected to increase because of two new subdivisions that are planned for development near the community.