State commission to investigate Centerville railroad crossing
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) has initiated an investigation concerning a railroad crossing in the Borough of Centerville, Washington County, which has been the site of several accidents including a collision earlier this year.
PUC commissioners voted 5-0 late last week to launch the investigation to review all matters related to the jurisdiction, condition and safety of the crossing, where Maple Glenn Road crosses a single track of the Norfolk Southern Railway Company, adjacent to State Route 88 (Low Hill Road).
The crossing is currently marked by “crossbuck” railroad crossing signs on both sides of Maple Glenn Road.
In March, an accident occurred at the crossing involving a freight train and a truck carrying hydrochloric acid, which resulted in several injuries and the evacuation of nearby residents.
“The first issue to be addressed is to determine whether the crossing involves a public or private roadway,” said Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, the press secretary with the PUC Office of Communications.
Hagen-Frederiksen, said the commission has jurisdiction over rail crossings involving public highways, which includes level crossings, rail bridges over roads or road bridges over railroads.
“If it is a public crossing, the commission will evaluate the condition and safety of the crossing and has the authority to order maintenance, repairs or improvements and the ability to assign responsibility for current and future maintenance of the crossing,” Hagen-Frederiksen said. “The assignment of responsibility includes determining which parties are responsible for the cost of any needed maintenance or improvements.”
However, PUC does not have jurisdiction over private crossings.
“Issues involving private crossings are guided by the agreements between the landowners and the railroad,” Hagen-Frederiksen said.
The case will be assigned to an administrative law judge to determine if the crossing is private or public and then gather evidence and testimony about all other matters related to the crossing before making a recommendation to the commission for formal action.
“There is no fixed timetable for these cases, and much of the process depends on the complexity of the case and the parties involved,” Hagen-Frederiksen said, adding if the facts are clear and the parties all agree, a resolution can happen rather quickly. “It takes longer if there are protests, challenges and other more lengthy legal proceedings.”