BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Some progress may be on the way for communities in Chautauqua County that have been dealing with issues surrounding Norfolk Southern trains.
Following reports by 7 News, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has sent a letter to Norfolk Southern to urge them to stop the practice of prolonged stops in the county that have left residents "stranded." You can view the full letter here.
In May, 7 News spoke to neighbors in Ripley who said they felt trapped in their own driveways because of Norfolk Southern trains that pass by and park at the end of their street.
The neighbors said the trains will stop on Klondike Road, a road with no outlet, for crew changes.
Bobbie White and her husband have lived on the road for the past 12 years and told 7 News it's a major concern for her family and the dozen other neighbors who live on this road too.
"You cannot get out. If I was having a heart attack at my house right now, you wouldn't be able to get me out," White explained, "I'm completely fed up all the way."
After hearing from the Klondike Road neighbors, 7 News informed Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel of the issue. He then reached out to Western New York Congressman Nick Langworthy. His chief of staff told 7 News they were planning a meeting with Norfolk Southern to address this problem.
Earlier this month, 7 News spoke to neighbors on Forest Avenue in Westfield, just miles away from Ripley, who said they are also blocked by stopped Norfolk Southern trains for hours at a time.
Sara Stoll has lived on the road since 2013 and has dealt with the issue since.
"It's scary for me especially knowing I have the children like if anything were to ever happen to them at my house and I couldn't get 911 down there, emergency vehicles," Stoll explained, "What am I supposed to do?"
“Chautauqua County neighborhoods are not a rest stop for Norfolk Southern. Idling trains in Ripley and Westfield have left residents stranded for far too long and endanger public safety by cutting off direct access to the rest of the community, and worse, emergency services,” said Senator Schumer. “I’m calling on Norfolk Southern to cease this practice and to find a better solution so we can restore safety and give these Chautauqua County neighborhoods the peace of mind they deserve.”
“I would like to thank the Senator for lending his assistance on this matter," said Wendel. "We have been in direct contact with representatives from Norfolk Southern directly, we thought they would take our requests with urgency and respect. As you can see it takes the Senate Majority to weigh in to get a large corporation like Norfolk Southern to make a change that jeopardizes health and safety of our residents.”
7 News will continue to follow this story until there are solutions.
