Neshaminy School District

 

  For years, residents of the Langhorne and Middletown Township areas have lived with the railroad crossings at Woodbourne Road. The line that serves that area is operated by CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville Florida, and shares the rails with SEPTA.

 

 The freight trains that cross Woodbourne can sometimes be very long, and due to the position of switch tracks, rail yards and sidings, often stop at the crossing, causing delays in the area.  As seen in the Google map below, the area below the crossing is narrow, which makes it difficult for large vehicles to turn around.

 

 Neshaminy District school buses have been trapped in this area, waiting for the intersection to clear during peak traffic times of the day. In May, 2015, one of these waits was in excess of one hour, as Middletown Township Police had to clear cars behind the bus in order to give the bus enough room to turn around and go around the crossing on another route.

 

 These delays not only affect the school bus routes that go through the crossing, but can affect routes later in the day such as the late activity buses. 

 

 The District has expressed its concerns to CSX over the crossing of these long freight trains at peak travel times.

   

 The safety and comfort of our students is of utmost importance. The District has implemented new communication procedures to keep parents informed via email, text alert and phone calls should buses be delayed more than 10-15 minutes. We encourage all parents to sign up for these alerts and make sure your contact information is up-to-date in Home Access.

 

 We will continue to work with Middletown Police, and keep pressure on CSX to reduce the number or length of these trains at peak times for the sake of all who live in the area, including the children coming and going to school.