CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The West Virginia Public Service Commission has added a feature to its website to allow people to report trains that are blocking highway rail crossings.
Other than moving trains, it’s illegal for a railroad company to block a public street, road or highway for longer than 10 minutes, the commission said in a news release.
“Blocked highway-rail grade crossings are becoming a major problem in West Virginia,” said Charlotte Lane, PSC chair. “By reporting these issues, PSC Railroad safety inspectors will know where the problems are and will investigate the cause of the blockages. These findings will then be reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for review.”
The online portal requires information about the location and the Department of Transportation number on the blocked crossing. The number, six digits followed by a letter, should be included on a blue emergency notification sign near the crossing, the PSC said.
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