PUCO approves rail crossing upgrades in Brown and Stark counties
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently approved safety upgrades at rail crossings in Brown and Stark counties.
Cincinnati Eastern Railroad will install flashing lights and gates at the Corboy Road/T.R. 530 grade crossing in Washington Township, Brown County by Oct. 4, 2024. Federal funds will pay $327,540 to complete the upgrades.
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (WLE) will install flashing lights and gates at a grade crossing in the city of Canton, Stark County by Jan. 4, 2025. The PUCO originally approved the safety upgrades at this crossing on April 20, 2022; however, after reviewing initial designs, it was determined that reconfiguring the roadway to simplify the grade crossing layout was necessary.
The total cost of the project is $656,585. The PUCO will provide 35 percent of the total cost from the State Grade Crossing Safety Fund. The city of Canton will pay 8 percent of the total cost. The Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) will pay 47 percent of the total cost that will include 100 percent of the cost for the flashing lights and gates. WLE will pay 10 percent of the total cost as well as maintenance expenses.
To increase public safety during the construction of the project, local government may seek funding from the PUCO for the cost of safety improvements such as rumble strips, illumination, improved signage or other enhancements at the project location. Funding for such improvements comes from the State Grade Crossing Safety Fund and may not exceed $5,000 per project.
The PUCO is responsible for evaluating Ohio’s public grade crossings to determine the need for installing active warning devices. Since the PUCO began implementing these evaluations, the annual number of train-motor vehicle crashes in Ohio has decreased significantly, from 356 in 1990 to 61 in 2022.
The Ohio Rail Hotline, at (866) 814-RAIL (7245), provides Ohioans with a toll-free resource for all railroad crossing questions. For more information regarding these crossings, access the Ohio railroad information system website at gradecrossings.puco.ohio.gov.
A copy of the Commission order with a list of the crossings receiving upgrades is available on the PUCO’s website at www.PUCO.ohio.gov. Click on the link to Docketing Information System and enter the case numbers 23-871-RR-FED and 23-861-RR-STP.