Police to Cite Trains That Block Traffic

Los Angeles police officials have stepped up enforcement of slow-moving trains in El Sereno after residents complained that the lumbering engines were blocking traffic for long periods of time.

Under state law, the railroad faces fines if trains linger at crossings more than 10 minutes. In the past, police officers forwarded reports of stopped trains to the internal railroad police.

But after a meeting of local and state officials coordinated by Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), police agreed to file complaints directly with the city attorney’s office. State Public Utilities Commission investigators will help determine why the trains were stalled. In addition, police said they will cite people who illegally cross the tracks.

The first case was filed Wednesday after police cited a train that had blocked traffic at Valley Boulevard for more than 45 minutes.

However, exceptions in state law that allow trains to block crossings because of weather conditions, mechanical failures and other reasons will make the cases difficult to prosecute, said Edmund Fimbres, the assistant city attorney who heads the special enforcement section.