Eighteen to 22 trains travel through the city daily, said David Pidgeon, Norfolk Southern spokesman.
“If we can find a way to increase speed, we will,” he said.
The city’s traffic signal preemption system, which changes the traffic signals when trains approach crossings, has been updated at four of the six sites to accommodate the faster train speeds, Scott Tadych, Middletown’s public works director, said.
Of those six crossings, five of have a history of fatalities or injuries since 1975, according to the Federal Railroad Administration’s safety analysis database.
The rail crossing at Wildwood Avenue has no history of a fatality or injury, according tot he database.
A total of 38 accidents have occurred at the five other crossings, with two fatalities and 14 injuries reported. More than half of those crashes were the result of a motorist driving around the crossing’s warning gates. The other accidents were the result of not stopping or getting stuck or stalled at a rail crossing. The speed of the trains involved in the crashes ranged from 1 mph to 35 mph, according to the database.
The rail crossings at First Avenue and at Woodlawn Avenue recorded both fatalities and the most injuries. In addition to one fatality each at both crossings, First Avenue saw 10 additional injuries and Woodlawn Avenue recorded eight other injuries.
The Central Avenue crossing also recorded eight injuries, according to the federal database.
Railroad tracks throughout the city are rated for 40 mph travel by trains, according to Pidgeon, who added that speed limits are increased depending on conditions.
“The railroad worked to straighten out the curve north of Middletown with the intention of increasing speed and safety,” he said. “But the speed increase was never implemented in that corridor. It made good business sense to move forward.”
The increase in speed will improve traffic flow throughout the city, he said.
“Slower trains … can cause traffic delays as trains occupy crossings longer,” he said.
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