(The Chico Enterprise Record posted the following article by Ariel Cohn on its website on March 4.)
CHICO, Calif. — An inspection by federal regulators has determined that Union Pacific’s railroad tracks in Chico are safe enough to carry freight trains traveling 70 mph.
That means the city of Chico likely will have no recourse if the City Council fails tonight to convince railroad officials to lower train speeds.
The Federal Railroad Administration inspected the railroad tracks, which run along Chico’s west side, after a meeting last week with Mayor Maureen Kirk and other city officials, Kirk said Monday. The inspection results are expected to be unveiled at tonight’s City Council meeting, when federal and railroad officials appear at the council’s invitation.
Chico residents and officials have expressed concern that trains traveling 70 mph will increase the risk to both vehicles and pedestrians, particularly because the tracks divide Chico State University from a large segment of student housing. On Dec. 15, Union Pacific raised its speed limit from 45 mph to 55 mph. The speed limit then was raised to 70 mph on Jan. 15.
Bob Koch, the city’s risk manager, said, “The council asked them to be there to talk about the speed increases, safety issues and how the increase can be justified.”
In 2001, California led the nation with 76 fatalities among people trespassing on railroad tracks, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics. California also was number one in fatalities involving accidents at rail/street intersections, with 54 deaths.
On Monday, Kirk said she had not heard whether the federal administration’s inspection had certified the rails in Chico as being safe enough to carry high-speed trains. But the Enterprise-Record has learned that the administration’s report will conclude the railroad is allowed to raise the speed.
Warren Flatau, a Federal Railroad Administration spokesman, said class 5 tracks, like Union Pacific’s in Chico, require stringent maintenance. The classification allows freight trains to travel at speeds of 80 mph, and passenger trains at 90 mph, Flatau said.
The Federal Railroad Administration drafted the classification system, which sets speed limits for trains based on how the track is constructed. If the track meets the administration’s standards, the railroad is allowed to operate up to the speed limit, Flatau said.
He said the federal administration has no authority to impose speed limits on the railroad, unless inspections find the track conditions to be deficient. If the tracks are not in compliance, the administration can issue slow down order until the railroad fixes the problem, he said.
“The burden of compliance is on the railroad,” Flatau said.
He said the administration’s data indicates that most accidents between trains and vehicles occur at lower speeds.
“Train accidents are not correlated with train speeds,” Flatau said.
Federal regulators are willing to work with the community and Chico State on a public education campaign to keep trespassers off the tracks, he said.
“A pedestrian struck at 20 mph or 50 mph is likely to be killed,” Flatau said. “It is not safe to be walking on or along the right of way.”
Kirk has written to numerous state and federal officials, including U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Wally Herger. She also has written to railroad officials in an attempt to get them to intervene on behalf of the city, but so far has had no luck.
“If they determine the tracks are safe, I don’t think we have any recourse,” Kirk said.
The City Council’s meeting begins at 7:30 tonight in the Council Chambers building, 421 Main St.