Residents tell council of railroad concerns

There have been more than 20 deaths in 20 years along the tracks.

By: Melissa Edmond
   Residents’ confronted the Borough Council on Monday with their concerns over the lack of safety precautions along the railroad tracks after a boy was struck and killed by a train on Friday.
   "Why don’t we protect our little kids?" asked First Avenue resident Bill Mitterko, in reference to 17-year-old Keith Miranda of Jasinski Street who died on the tracks at Kyle Street and Railroad Place at around 1:30 a.m.
   "You’re working on it but they’re getting killed. Somebody somewhere has really gotta help us. If you put up a fence, they’ll climb the fence," Mr. Mitterko said.
   Police said they don’t suspect foul play in the death of the Manville High School senior. They said they suspect he was drinking at a house party in Manville but are still waiting for autopsy results. They are not certain if it is suicide.
   "If suicide was the case, I don’t think anything would have stopped it. If someone’s going to commit suicide, no matter what deterrents there are they’re going to get around them," Mayor Angelo Corradino said in an interview on Tuesday.
   "There’s nothing we can do on our end. I think it should be the school’s responsibility to contact the railroad and get them to do a safety program since 90 percent of the kids have to cross the railroad to get to school," said Councilman Kenneth Otrimski in an interview on Wednesday. "If anything, parents should be aware and educate their children."
   There have been over 20 deaths in 20 years as a result of the trains. Leonard Barber, 48, of Manville was struck and killed by a train 300 yards from the Main Street overpass at 9 p.m. July 17.
   The Borough Council passed a resolution in response to the numerous accidents in August declaring a fence should be built along the tracks owned by the Norfolk and Southern and the CSX railroads.
   "The Borough Council is going to continue trying to have a fence built along the tracks and hopefully if we continue insisting on it and being persistent on it, the railroad may consider doing it," said Mayor Corradino.
   He said that previously the railroad companies didn’t think building a fence was feasible. He said the borough didn’t have the funds to raise the money for the fences or the authority since the train tracks are on the railroad’s property.
   "It’s the railroad’s position that if the municipality wants to install fences that Norfolk Southern will cooperate but it’s not the responsibility of Norfolk Southern to install fencing," said Norfolk Southern representative Rudy Husband on Tuesday.
   "They’re (the trains) terrible. They’re disgusting," said Mr. Mitterko. He suggested that 5,000 people sit on the tracks in protest to get the railroad companies to notice.
   "Whatever the railroad wants to do, they’ll do. They don’t care," said Mr. Otrimski about requests made by the borough for the railroad company not to leave the train stopped at the 13th Street crossing. He said they have asked them to move the train 10 cars ahead to open the crossing but they ignore the requests.
   Former school board member Michael Fiure pointed out that they will stop the train if the main rail line is backed up or if a crew member’s shift is over to wait for his or her replacement. He also said that there are hazardous materials on the train and the council should be concerned about those materials as well.