North Charleston residents split on railroad controversy - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

By Bob Behanian  bio | email

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey has a plan to remove trains from certain areas of the city. Norfolk Southern Corporation isn't on board with the changes the mayor wants to make.

North Charleston residents say removing trains from certain areas would improve their quality of life.

"When you try and fall asleep at night you have trains that come through 1, 2, 3 o'clock in the morning blowing the whistle," Gail Gilliard said.

Gilliard has lived on the corner of Gaynor and East Montague Street for 47 years. She said that noise at night is not the only downside of having railroad tracks as your neighbor.

"Rush hour, people going to work, 8:30, 9 o'clock; kids going to school; train on the tracks," Gilliard said.

If Summey has his way, Gilliard won't have to worry about being stuck in traffic when a train comes through. Norfolk Southern officials are not buying the mayor's plan, saying it will lead to lost business.

Residents don't know if rerouting the rail lines is the answer. But Willie Dreyton said something has to be done about the traffic.

"Its real bad. Just being out there when that train stops, it's backed up on both ends on both sides of the street," Dreyton said.

Traffic and noise are not the only concerns citizens have. They said the tracks also cause a safety issue at night.

"I get off at 10:30 at night and if a train is coming through and stops then I'm stuck out on Montague for 15-20 minutes waiting on it to go through. I'm in a car by myself," Gilliard added. "You don't know who's going to pull up or see me sitting by myself. Yeah, sometimes I do worry about safety."

Summey's officials said that Norfolk Southern is tied in with South Carolina Public Railways. They want the state to honor a promise that no rail will go to the north end of the former Navy base.

©2010 WCSC. All rights reserved.