Council discusses frequent train stoppages, outreach and high-level feasibility costs for grade separation

Council members raised concerns Sept. 9 about frequent and lengthy freight train stoppages that block crossings near Park Drive and other locations. Council member Tim Humphries said he visited every crossing in Carlisle, collected rail and hotline numbers and urged the city to distribute the contacts beyond social media so residents can report blockages exceeding ten minutes.

Council member Jason Faulkner asked City Manager Chris Lohr whether the city had considered a formal feasibility study for a grade separation (overpass or underpass). Lohr said an initial conversation with an engineering firm produced a ballpark study price of more than $100,000; he cited a separate locality's recent work where an underpass outside Waterbury on Trenton‑Franklin Road cost about $2 million while an overpass option was roughly $19 million (Lohr presented that as an illustrative example from another project and said figures were from a past conversation, not a Carlisle cost estimate).

Members discussed legal and enforcement limits for fining rail carriers; council members said previous state attempts to fine trains encountered legal limits. The exchange underscored that short‑term resident relief can come from better reporting channels while long‑term solutions would require detailed engineering, right‑of‑way work and substantial capital funding.

No feasibility study was authorized at the Sept. 9 meeting; staff said they have explored contacts in Washington, D.C., and planned additional local outreach to the rail companies to seek remediation or meetings that could inform next steps.