Stop, look and listen. That is what drivers in Wethersfield are being directed to do at all eight of the railroad crossings in town. For the first time in about 10 years trains will be running on the tracks.
“We want to prevent train tragedies so we’re out here alerting the public,” Kevin Burns, the state coordinator for Operation Lifesaver, said.
Burns was working with other transportation officials to hand out flyers to drivers on Tuesday morning at the railroad crossings, letting them know the trains will start running on June 3.
Seven out of the eight crossings do not have gates or flashing lights and that is why the town installed stop signs and bright orange signs warning drivers about the train service resuming.
The Providence and Worcester Railroad trains plan to blow the horns when approaching crossings. The train travels about 10 miles per hour.
But people like Andrew Baginski, whose property backs up to the railroad tracks, worries that won’t be enough.
“They say they’re going to be going slowly, but I don’t know. There’s a lot of traffic coming through here, a lot of people walking across them,” said Baginski.
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Baginski walks and drives across the tracks on Mill Street on a daily basis.
Just down the road on Middletown Avenue near the Rocky Hill line, the angle of the track is so sharp it is hard for drivers to see any oncoming trains.
“You can’t see up the tracks. And with just (a) stop sign, no warning lights or anything, I don’t like that idea,” Baginski said.
At this time, there are no plans to install gates or flashing lights at the crossings so Burns recommends drivers stop, look and listen for the train before crossing.
