Hahn Warns Railroad to Cease Long Roadblocks

Los Angeles City Atty. James Hahn said Wednesday he will file criminal charges against Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Corp. if its trains continue to block roads near a Wilmington area school.

“It’s more than just an inconvenience--it’s really a question of public safety,” Hahn said, noting that the trains are blocking not only only normal traffic but emergency vehicles as well.

A company representative declined tocomment until the situation is reviewed.

Hahn sent a letter Tuesday to the Fort Worth, Texas, corporation, demanding the railroad discontinue the lengthy delays near Broad Avenue Elementary School. “We’ve had reports of them tying up intersections for over an hour,” he said.

A state Public Utilities Commission order allows a 10-minute stop, but a city ordinance further limits delays to five minutes.

Hahn added that residents have told him delays have occurred for years, making students late for school or worse. “If the kids are worried about being late, they’re sometimes crawling underneath the trains or over the couplings,” he said.

Company officials met with teachers and parents last week. “They said we need to train kids in railroad safety,” Hahn said.

But the city attorney said he does not believe that is an appropriate response. “I don’t think the neighborhood should be forced to live with lawbreaking,” he said.

If the situation is not resolved, the city attorney’s office will file a misdemeanor violation for each delay, punishable by up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine, Hahn said.

Last year, Hahn’s office prosecuted Union Pacific Railroad for a similar scenario in Boyle Heights. The company pleaded no contest and was required to donate $10,000 to a nonprofit organization.