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.