KILEVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – A railroad crossing in Madison County is getting lots of attention from residents in the area. 

Railroad crossing #2569 on State Route 161 in Kileville has been in disrepair for nearly a year. It’s located between Dublin and Plain City where it sees around 10,000 drivers a day. However, that estimate of drivers was last done in 2004.

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The railroad itself is operated by CSX Railroads. Drivers and concerned residents have called to bring the matter to their attention numerous times in the last 12 months. Roger Spring of Plain City has called the State Highway Department, Railway Commission, and CSX.

“On Oct. 2, I called the state highway department, and they told me that they have no authority to make CSX do anything there in that intersection,” he said.

He described the damage around the approach to the tracks.

“My theory is what’s going on is that the foundation under the tracks and around the tracks is starting to fail causing the asphalt on either side of the rails to collapse in,” Spring said.

Spring said he drives over the crossing at least twice a week.

“The situation got so bad that I began to put my flashers on when I approached the intersection, and then I would slowly drive across the tracks. This is a heavily traveled strip of state highway right through there. And you should not have to hit your brakes to slow down by very much when you go across there,” he said.

NBC4 had a crew at the railroad crossing on Thursday. They saw hundreds of cars cross the tracks. Many of them slowed down and gently crossed the tracks. Some displayed flashers like Spring said. Others sped right over the tracks without slowing down. When our crew drove over the tracks it was definitely bumpy, and at a certain speed, possibly dangerous.

Spring recalled at least once when construction crews did some work on the crossing.

“Eventually CSX comes out and their solution to the problem was to add a little bit of coal patch. And that stuff never holds up for any length of time especially if there’s no foundation underneath the area where they’re wanting to put that,” Spring said.

But it’s not just the tracks themselves that could be dangerous.

“Usually about two or three times a month somebody has a flat tire. There’s been multiple rear endings there from people slamming on their breaks to go over the tracks. Ultimately going over them slow is worse. If you go over them fast and to the right on both sides it’s usually a little bit better,” said Susan Jones who lives nearby the tracks and drives over the railroad crossing every day.

NBC4 reached out to ODOT to find out who is responsible for the upkeep of the roadways at a railroad crossing. They declined an interview but Hannah Salem, District 6 Public Information Officer sent this statement:

“Railroad companies are responsible for maintaining all approaches to their tracks and sidewalks within their designated right of way. As such, any potholes found in these areas fall under the maintenance jurisdiction of the railroad company.

Our office has received inquiries from members of the public regarding this issue, and we have been directing them through our contacts with the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the railroad company. We respect and understand that this is a concern for the public, and ODOT is actively leveraging our communication channels to get it addressed.”

Ohio Railway Commission records show the railroad responsible for the crossing as CSX. Spring has called them several times.

“I then called CSX again for a second time and told them about the situation and how deep this hole was because you could see the rebar in the bottom. And their solution is come out, put some coal patch on top of the rebar and then left the rest pretty much how it was.”

After Spring said he called for a fourth time after a near head-on collision at the crossing, “Their response was well, we don’t have any record of you having ever called us. End of conversation.”

Jones lives right next to the railroad crossing. NBC4 asked her if she’s seen crews working on the approach at all in the last year.

“No. I haven’t even seen anybody out here looking at it,” she said.

Jones wants the rough crossing fixed before someone gets seriously hurt.

“I think they need to get it fixed before someone, like, dies on those tracks,” she said.

Nearly a dozen people reached out to NBC4 with stories and issues with the railroad crossing. Many of them have already placed complaints with CSX and the State Highway Department. NBC4 reached out to CSX and heard back on Feb. 8 from a representative from the company’s public relations team. The response was that they will look into it and get back. Since that time, several more efforts have been made to reach CSX but no response has been given.

“They don’t care. We’re just, we’re just a pain in the rear end. They don’t care whether it’s fixed or not, or they’d have had it done because this has been going on for close to a year,” said Spring.

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