CHICAGO — Indiana residents frustrated by train-blocked grade crossings must wonder if it will take an act of Congress to clear their commutes. Fed up with the failure of state laws and federal bureaucracy to carry freight with the railroads, local politicians are aiming to do just that.
Officials at a Monday meeting of the Northwest Indiana Rail Crossing Task Force say that lobbying Congress to limiting the amount of time railroads can block crossings with trains is just the ticket Indiana residents need.
The Chicago Tribune reports that members of the rail task force want to look into getting U.S. lawmakers to reject Federal pre-emption when it comes to railroads so that state or local laws, including laws with fines, could have some effect.
Because Congress has already passed laws regarding railroads and interstate commerce, state and local laws are pre-empted or placed beneath federal laws by the U.S. Constitution.
