Indiana to receive $21M in federal funds to improve safety of railroad crossings

Still, the issue of stopped trains is a nationwide problem. Just last year, there were more than 30,000 reports of blocked crossings submitted to the FRA and more than 2,000 highway-rail crossing collisions according to a press release.  

“Every year, commuters, residents, and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad crossings — and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a press release. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and resources for American families.”  

Buttigieg is the former mayor of South Bend, a community close to Hammond.

Major railroad companies have faced criticism as they report soaring profits amid disaster, like Norfolk Southern’s train derailment that spilled toxic chemicals in an Ohio community earlier this year. Norfolk Southern, which reported a 13% increase in revenue from the end of 2021 to the end of 2022, is the same company that frequently blocks intersections in Hammond. 

The $21 million grant will fund five projects in Indiana, including Hammond, Gary, Schererville, Peru and Wells County. Proposed safety improvements range from the elimination of some railroad crossings to a road overpass. Some of the projects are supplemented by other federal funds, state transportation funds, railroad companies and local governments. The grant is just a piece of a total $570 million in funding to approve railroad safety nationwide.