Birmingham, AL — Yesterday, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) welcomed Federal Railroad  Administrator Amit Bose to Alabama to meet with local officials and  explore solutions to the blocked railroad crossings impacting  communities in the 7th Congressional District. In the Harris Homes  community, Sewell hosted a roundtable discussion to give federal  partners an opportunity to hear directly from local leaders about the  needs of the community. Following the roundtable, Bose toured Harris  Homes and the nearby rail yard for a firsthand look at the impact of  blocked railroad crossings on residents.

“I extend my sincere  thanks to Administrator Bose for answering our calls and visiting our  community to see the unacceptable train blockages that continue to  impact our residents,” said Rep. Sewell. “Together with local  leaders, we had a robust and productive conversation to identify and  work toward solutions in the short and long term. While there is more to  be done, I have renewed optimism that cooperation at the local and  federal levels can deliver relief to our communities.” 

“Blocked railroad  crossings is an issue FRA is paying close attention to, and we look  forward to continued coordination with the Congresswoman and local  officials to identify solutions that improve the quality of life for  affected residents,” said Administrator Bose. “As we discussed,  we encourage individuals to report incidents of blocked crossings  through our online portal and communities to pursue federal funding  opportunities to minimize these disruptions and increase safety.”

Among other remedies, the group discussed:

• The need for communities in the 7th  Congressional District to apply for assistance through the Railroad  Crossing Elimination Program funded at $500,000 per year by President  Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Improvements to the online portal used to report blocked railroad crossings 
• The provision of technical assistance by the Federal Railroad  Administration to help large and small communities successfully apply  for federal resources to mitigate train blockages
• Increased engagement with state-level partners

Yesterday’s  visit by Administrator Bose is the latest in an ongoing federal  partnership to address blocked railroad crossings in the 7th  Congressional District. In November 2021, after hearing concerns from local officials and community members, Rep. Sewell sent a letter to Administrator Bose and an additional letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg inviting them to see  firsthand how blockages impact the community. In response to the letter,  Administrator Bose met with Rep. Sewell in November 2021, and participated in a productive discussion with local officials in January 2022. Sewell also helped secure key provisions in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Lawto address train blockages.

Photos from the visit can be found here.