Sheriff’s Office Releases Information Regarding Railroad Crossing Blockage

The flooding in most areas of our state has affected the railroads along with many other activities in the state. A significant amount of rail lines in Kansas are flooded or damaged from flooding rendering them unusable until flooding recedes and the affected lines are inspected and repaired. The railroads continue to convey the same amount of shipments, but due to flooding are limited to a reduced track availability. This has resulted in increased train traffic using the available lines, more trains having to stop to allow oncoming trains to pass, and other issues requiring more trains to be stopped for longer periods of time.

The railroads are merely asking for our understanding of the issues the flooding is causing for them and want us to be aware of the reason for potentially more and longer crossing blockage issues.

They also want us, as Law Enforcement, to be able to offer reasonable explanations to citizen complaints about rail crossing blockage. And as always please be safe, do not drive around railroad crossing arms which are down.

Undersheriff Gene Ward
Seward County Sheriff Office