".
>> TRAIN THAT OFTEN STOPS ON
THE TRACK FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR
CUT AGO COMMUNITY OFF FROM THE
OUTSIDE WORLD AND LIMITING
ACCESS TO FIRST RESPONDERS.
HE NEVER KNOW WHEN IT HAPPENS
AND FOR HOW LONG.
LOCALS FIELD TRAPPED BY THE
COMPANY RUNNING THE TRAIN AS
THE RAILROAD TRACK CROSS-OVER
THE ONLY TWO WAY IN AND OUT
ALONG COMFORT ROAD.
>> WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH
RESIDENTS, PARENTS, BUSINESS
MANAGER, ALL CONCERNED FOR
THEIR OWN SAFETY AND OTHERS
WHOM WE HAVE LEARNED ARE
ABANDONING THE CARS ON ONE SIDE
OF THE TRACK AND CLIMBING
THROUGH THE STOPPED TRAIN CARS
TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE.
>> THEY HAVE EXPRESSED THE
FRUSTRATION TO CSX.
EVEN 911 DISPATCHERS.
NOW THE I-TEA.
>>Reporter: IT'S MORE THAN
JUST A SOUND OF AN ONCOMING
TRAIN.
MR. KA LOCAL SAY NOTIFICATION
TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY
ONLY HAVE A FEW SECOND LEFT
BEFORE ACCESS TO THE OUTSIDE
WORLD IS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF.
>> THEY ARE CUT OFF.
WHEN YOU TRAIN MAKE IT ACROSS
BOTH ROAD THEY ARE CUT OFF FROM
THE COMMUNITY PERIOD. NO WAY
TO GET PAST IT NO. WAY FOR
AMBULANCE TO GET THROUGH.
>>Reporter: ONLY TWO WAY IN
AND OUT OF THIS PALATKA
NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S ALONG THE ST. JOHNS
RIVER.
THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO 30
HOMES.
RESTAURANT.
HOTEL.
AND BOAT RAMP IS STREET CALLED
COMFORT ROAD.
WHICH CROSSES THE RAILROAD
TRACK IN TWO PLACES.
RIGHT BETWEEN THE INTERSECTION
IS CSX RAIL YARD WITH LOADING
UNLOADING OF TRAIN CARS TAKES
PLACE EVERY DAY.
SOMETIMES FOR MORE THAN AN HOU
SOMETIMES FOR MORE THAN AN
HOUR.
LOCALS SAY WHEN THE ROAD IS
BLOCKED, THEIR SAFETY IS PUT IN
JEOPARDY.
>> LAST LOCATION OF THE
EMERGENCY.
>>Reporter: BUSINESS CALLS 911
TO REPORT A SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE
IN THE PARKING LOT.
THEY NEED AN OFFICER TO CHECK
IT OUT.
BUT THERE'S JUST ONE PROBLEM.
>> OH, MY THERE'S A TAKEN NOW
BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE.
SO I JUST WAS GOING TO REPORT
THERE BUT THERE'S A TRAIN
BLOCKING THE RAILROAD ENTRANCE.
IF YOU WANT TO TELL THE OFFICER
THE RAILROAD CROSSING IS
BLOCKED.
>> IT'S BLOCKED.
>> YES THERE'S A TRAIN BLOCKIN
>> YES THERE'S A TRAIN
BLOCKING.
>>Reporter: MAN ON THE PHONE
IS JUST ONE OF 71 PEOPLE WHO
CALLED 911 LAST YE OFF
COMFORT ROAD FOR AN EMERGENCY.
OUT OF THOSE 71 CALLS WE HAVE
LEARNED 14 OTHER CALLERS WERE
PEOPLE REPORTING THAT THE TRAIN
IS BLOCKING THE ROAD FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
>> TRAIN STILL BLOCKING.
>> YES THIS.
>>Reporter: CALLER ENDED UP
CANCELLING HIS REQUEST FOR
SHERIFF'S OFFICER PWHAW WOULD
HAPPEN IF FIRST RESPONDER
NEEDED IMMEDIATE ACCESS.
MAJOR CONCERN FOR THE RIVER
FRONT HOTEL HERE WHO WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT HER GUESTS.
>> WE HAVE 54 ROOMS HERE SO AT
ANY GIVEN POINT YOU KNOW WE
COULD HAVE 100 PEOPLE ON SITE
AND ONE COULD GET HURT AND IN
THAT CASE WE WOULD NEED TO CALL
AND HAVE SOME ONE OUT HERE TO
ASSIST THEM AND HELP THEM.
THEY CAN'T GET TO THEM.
>>Reporter: JESSICA SAYS THE
STOPPED TRAIN IS ALSO TAKING A
TOLL ON HER BUSINESS.
>> WE HAVE HAD GUESTS THAT
DON'T WANT TO STAY BECAUSE THEY
HAVE BEEN BLOCKED BY THE TRAIN
FOR TOO LONG.
TAKES THEM TO TOO LONG TO GO
INTO TOWN OR COME BACK.
>>Reporter: I HAVE SAT THERE
MYSELF AND TIMED THE TRAIN.
>> 9 MINUTES 40 SECONDS TRAFFIC
IS GOING THROUGH.
>>Reporter: ONLY THIS TIME THE
ROAD WAS BLOCKED FOR LESS THAN
15 MINUTES.
WE TOOK THE NEIGHBORHOOD
CONCERNS TO CSX.
THE COMPANY WOULDN'T TALK TO US
ON CAMERA.
BUT INSTEAD ISSUED THIS
STATEMENT ABOUT THE TRAIN YARD.
THE RAIL YARD HAS BEEN AN
IMPORTANT POINT OF CSX RAIL
NETWORK FOR MANY YEARS.
PROVIDING LOCAL FREIGHT SERVICE
TO THE PALATKA COMMUNITY AND
NORTHEAST FLORIDA.
CSX STRIVES TO MINIMIZE IMPACT
TO THE COMMUNITY WOULD WHILE
PROVIDING SAFEST EFFICIENT
SERVICE POSSIBLE FOR OUR
CUSTOMERS AND THE COMMUNITY WE
SERVE.
WE ARE CONTINUE
WE ARE CONTINUING TO REVIEW OUR
OPERATION TO DETERMINE IF ANY
ADJUSTMENT CAN BE MADE TO
REDUCE ROAD BLOCKAGE IN THE
AREA SURROUNDING THE YARD.
THERE IS NO FLORIDA LAW
PROHIBITING CSX FROM BROCKING
ROADS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME
IN THE LAW BUT IN CASE OF
EMERGENCY THE LAW STATES THAT
ANY TRAIN OR EQUIPMENT THAT HAS
COME TO COMPLETE STOP AND IS
BLOCKING A RAILROAD HIGHWAY
GRADE CROSSING MUST BE CUT,
SEPARATED OR MOVED TO CLEAR THE
CROSSING UPON THE APPROACH.
LOCALS SAY IN TRUE EMERGENCY
DISCONNECTING THE TRAIN AND
CLEARING THE ROAD COULD CAUSE
FIRST RESPONDERS PRECIOUS TIME.
>> EMERGENCY SITUATION YOU HAVE
A HEART ATTACK OR WHATEVER IS
GOING WRONG WITH YOU EVERY
SECOND COUNTS.
>>Reporter: THEY ARE WORRIED
THAT SOME ONE COULD GET KILLED
CLIMBING THROUGH THE STOPPED
TRAIN TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE.
>> I SAW PEOPLE THAT WERE
CRAWLING BACK AND FORTH ON
EITHER SIDE.
GOING FROM ONE AREA TO ANOTHER
AND JUST LEAVING THEIR CARS ON
THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I MADE SURE I TOLD THE
REPRESENTATIVE THAT.
>> WHEN YOU SAY CRAWLING.
CRAWLING THROUGH THE TRAIN.
>> NOT THROUGH THE TRAIN BUT IN
BETWEEN WHETHER THE TRAINS
CONNECT TOGETHER THEY WOULD
CRAWL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
PASSING LIKE SAY I GOT TO GET
TO WORK.
>>Reporter: MOM AND DAD ALSO
TOLD US BECAUSE OF THE TRAIN
THE THE KID ARE CHRONICALLY
LATE FOR SCHOOL AND ISSUE FOR
RESELLING HOUSES IN THE
COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A
BIG INCONVENIENCE.
AS FOR THE SAFETY CONCERNS, WE
ASKED CSX HOW LONG WOULD IT
TAKE TO DISKEINGT THE CAR AND
CLEA THE TRACK FOR AMBULANCE
OR FIRE TRUCK AS THEY ARE
REQUIRED TO DO BY FLORIDA LAW.
THEY COULDN'T GIVE US AN EXACT
TIME BECAUSE THEY SAID THERE
ARE VARIOUS FACTOR TO SEPARATE
RAIL CARS.
BUT CLEARLY THERE WORN SOME
DELAY IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE
THERE WITH THE TRAIN BLOCKING
THE ROAD.
CSX OFFICIALS TELL ME THEY WILL
MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENT NOW TO
REDUCE THE CROSSING BLOCK