Decision on railroad crossings needs quick action

By Chuck Kajer

Several months ago, people in the Jordan, New Prague and Montgomery areas were notified that the Union Pacific Railroad, which operates the tracks through the three communities, had received permission to increase the speed of trains from 10 to 30 miles per hour.

While that may not seem like much of a difference to some, consider the size of these trains and their ability to stop. Even when going 10 miles per hour, it takes quite a while to stop a train. When it is going 30 miles per hour, the stopping time and distance increases greatly.