Ohio panel agrees to close CSX crossing

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) last week granted CSX Transportation's petition to close a rail crossing in Washington Township in Morrow County to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

In July, the commission held public hearings in Morrow and Crawford counties on CSX's request. In order for PUCO to grant a petition to close a crossing, the commission must determine that there is no "demonstrable need" for it to exist, commission officials said in a press release.

In the case of the CSX request, the crossing was determined to be particularly dangerous because of the amount of train traffic, the speed at which the trains travel through the crossing, the lack of flashing lights and gates, poor sight distances, the unusual angle of approach and the distance between two sets of tracks, commission officials said.

"The PUCO approves closing the crossing in order to continue to enhance and promote public safety at rail crossings throughout the state," commission officials said.

Located at Bloomingrove/New Winchester Road, the crossing ranks 110th most dangerous in Ohio out of 5,800 crossings, they said.