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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships Ashland downtown beautification project underway on Lithia Way Memorial Day rites set for Monday Grizzly earns prestigious UO academic scholarship Police Reports Education Grizzly earns prestigious UO academic scholarship The battle for the Earth Bowl Principal Zundel looks to next challenge Youth Activities and Academics Levy rolls in early returns It takes a village to raise a child Environment Demonstrators hope to save tree Documentary 'When Giants Fall' tells tragic story of elephant poaching Mt. 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Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships ... Memorial Day rites set for Monday ... GOP's war on the poor ... Budget committee nixes solar farm, AHS-to-SOU scholarships ... Memorial Day rites set for Monday ... A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ASHLAND Freight trains returning to Ashland 'Trains can't swerve,' so people need to take care to not get hit Comment By Elizabeth Fairchild DailyTidings.com By Elizabeth Fairchild Posted May. 19, 2015 at 6:53 PM By Elizabeth Fairchild Posted May. 19, 2015 at 6:53 PM Tips from Operation Lifesaver --> • As you approach a railroad crossing, always expect a train. Freight trains do not run on a schedule. • Trains can run on any track, at any time, from either direction. &... » Read more X Tips from Operation Lifesaver • As you approach a railroad crossing, always expect a train. Freight trains do not run on a schedule. • Trains can run on any track, at any time, from either direction. • Trains can’t swerve. • Trains can’t stop quickly. • Flashing red lights warn of an approaching train and must be treated like a stop sign. • At crossings with flashing lights and no gates, you must stop. Proceed only when it is safe to do so. • Trains always have the right-of-way. For more information, to schedule a presentation or to become a volunteer, visit: Operation Lifesaver: www. oli.org Oregon Operation Lifesaver: www.oregonol.org   » Social News Was that a train whistle? The familiar low whine that elicits longing in so many has sounded several times in the last few weeks in Ashland. There hadn’t been a train in Ashland since 2008, but freight service on the Siskiyou Line between Weed and Medford is coming back. The trains you’ve recently seen or heard in Ashland are supply trains for Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad (CORP; yes, they reverse the “R” and “P” for the abbreviation), shuttling materials for rail repairs and tunnel improvements along the 95 miles of track between Ashland and Weed, Calif. Freight trains on the Siskiyou Line, scheduled to open late this fall, will carry mostly lumber products (not hazardous materials) from Weed to points north, thus relieving truck traffic on I-5. What does this mean for Ashland? According to Donald Seil, general manager for project development, Pacific Region Railroads, CORP anticipates two trains a day passing through Ashland, one train in each direction, running about 12 hours apart. Although Seil touted the success of the joint Federal/State/and private project bringing freight service back to the region, he wanted to talk about railroad safety. It is a CORP priority to inform communities about the railroad safety, but Seil has a personal interest and enthusiasm for the subject. Seil is a volunteer speaker for Operation Lifesaver, a national nonprofit educational program designed to end train collisions at road crossings by training communities in rail safety. Trains can’t swerve or stop like a car, so it’s up to pedestrians and drivers to protect themselves at railroad crossings, he said. Ashland has nine railroad crossings within city limits. Residents are likely to cross one or more of these crossings multiple times a day, so it’s important citizens understand railroad policies and realities. According to both Seil and Ann Seltzer, management analyst for the city, cities do not set the rules for the railroads. Although the city has a good relationship with CORP, rail regulations and rail speeds are set by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). A number of factors such as rail condition, grade and curvature affect rail speeds set by the FRA. Because of this, Seil said, there is not a standard speed for towns, but a speed of 25 mph would be maximum. In Ashland with its nine crossings, a much lower speed would be likely. Although trains are required to blow their whistle at crossings, “it’s important to understand trains can’t stop quickly. If a train is going 55 mph, it takes the equivalent of 18 football fields to stop.” He stressed that freight trains are not on a schedule. A train could pass through at any time. “I don’t want people to get complacent and assume if the train passes through Ashland at 2:30 p.m. a few days in a row that it is on a schedule. Freight trains are not on a schedule. They travel when they are ready to go.” Seil encourages members of the community to take advantage of Operation Lifesaver and book educational sessions for school bus drivers, public safety officers, first responders, children, teen drivers and any member of the community wanting to participate. The Siskiyou rail improvement project is a collaborative effort of ODOT, CORP and counties in both southern Oregon and northern California. They jointly applied for and received a $7.1 million Federal Tiger IV (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant. CORP added another 25 percent in funds to complete the $9.5 million project. The purpose of the project is to “use the line to reduce the amount of vehicles on I-5,” said Kelli Sparkman, an administrator for ODOT which is overseeing the funds. Seil explained that a freight train holds “three truckloads per freight car” and the train should carry 12 to 13 freight cars, taking 36 to 39 trucks off the road. Seil described this project as a good example how state, federal and private industry can get together “for the good of the community.” In addition to carrying freight, the project supports the economy by adding nine family-wage CORP jobs in Southern Oregon, he said. Two-year Ashland resident Elizabeth Fairchild is a retired nurse and midwife currently doing freelance feature writing.   By Elizabeth Fairchild DailyTidings.com By Elizabeth Fairchild Posted May. 19, 2015 at 6:53 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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