The Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation has assembled a task force to determine the future of CSX railroads in the city.
The CSX Relocation Task Force met for the first time two weeks ago.
The 10-person group is made up of government, business and community leaders. It will spend the next year studying the pros and cons of removing or rerouting the two railways that run through Madisonville.
EDC President Gerald Cook says heavy train traffic through the center of town poses a logistical and safety concern as well as being an inconvenience and nuisance to local businesses.
“CSX has two lines running through Madisonville running North-South, one goes through downtown and the other goes through the east side of town," said Cook. "Presently, there are about 16 to 20 trains a day. So the task force will be looking at safety issues, fire and police protection, safety issues in regard to all the crossings.”
Cook says the task force will also have to consider CSX rail traffic, which he says is predicted to increase over the next 10 years. He says one option is to reroute all traffic to rails east of town, which is shorter and could prove more cost-effective for CSX.
The group will meet on an “as needed” basis over the next 6 to 12 months before deciding whether to relocate the railway.