Norfolk Southern seeks closure of up to five Lock Haven railroad crossings

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Norfolk Southern is asking the City of Lock Haven to vacate five street crossings on the railroad’s line through the city.

The request came through a recent letter from Norfolk Southeran’s Manager of Public Safety in Atlanta, GA. Ernest “Leon” Jackson said the railroad is pursuing “permanent closures of one or more” of five city crossings. These are on Fourth St., Liberty St., Vesper St., Grove St. and Henderson St.

If City Council would give its concurrence, only remaining crossings, other than Paul Mack Boulevard, would be on Bellefonte Avenue and Hanna and W. Water Streets. The item is on the agenda for Monday’s city council meeting.

The Jackson letter cites safety as a consideration in the request and says Norfolk Southern supports a Federal Rail Administration goal of consolidating 25% of the nation’s public at-grade crossings. It said all railroads have been tasked by the FRA to work with local communities to eliminate “redundant crossings.”

The letter notes that three of the crossings are less than a thousand feet from the overhead Paul Mack Boulevard crossing and FRA data shows Pennsylvania accounted for the third most public crossing incidents on Norfolk Southern lines in 2022.

Norfolk Southern is offering an “incentive” for the potential permanent closings but that amount was not included in the letter. The railroad company is asking city council to approve a resolution. Once done, Norfolk Southern would remove the asphalt from between the rails and is willing to install signage and barricades at the closed-off crossings. The barricades and signage would be a city responsibility in the future.