By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Montgomery Township officials have been alerted to a planned railroad track extension in the Skillman section of the township.
At the committee meeting Thursday night, Mayor Louise Wilson said the township was informed by the state Department of Transportation about the plans of CSX Corporation, a transportation company that owns rail lines in the township.
For a 2-mile stretch running from just east of Route 601 to just west of Hollow Road, the company plans to install a double track that would allow trains to pull over, idle and other trains pass.
The township has no jurisdiction or oversight that could prevent the company from making the expansion, said township administrator Donato Nieman.
”They could be out there tomorrow,” he said.
However, the committee hopes to convince the company to upgrade track crossings to quiet zones while it is working on the widening.
Quiet zones are crossings where the train horn is not blown. Additional safety measures to compensate must meet federal regulations.
Three intersections are within the township’s jurisdiction: Spring Hill Road, Provinceline Road and Hollow Road. The intersection at Route 601 is under county jurisdiction.
Complaints from residents have increased as trains have become more frequent and passing overnight, Mayor Wilson said. The line is one of the busiest in the Northeast, she said.
Committeeman Marc Caliguire encouraged the committee to ask for the entire cost of the improvements.
”Let’s find out what ‘paying for it’ really means,” he said.
Montgomery Township was chosen for the double tracks for its relatively rural location, Mayor Wilson said.
”They’re looking for an area with a certain distance between intersections,” she said.
The committee agreed to write a letter of intent, to whatever body necessary, suggesting the improvements.
Also at the meeting, after a closed session, the committee authorized an appraisal of the “Potter property” as a possible open space acquisition.
The owner of the 11-acre property on Grand View Road received approval from the Planning Board to build a house on the land, said Lauren Wasilauski, township open space coordinator.
However, the neighbors asked the owner to consider preserving the wooded property as a trailhead, she said. The township has an easement on a property just to the north, she added.
