For people living in Birmingham’s Harris Homes neighborhood, a stopped freight train can mean more than a traffic delay. It can mean being unable to leave home, get to work or reach a family member on the other side of the tracks.
For decades, residents have pressed local officials and Norfolk Southern Railroad to address the problem. Now, a regional partnership is taking a step toward a long-awaited solution.
Federal and local officials announced Monday $10 million in funding for R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N. Alabama. It brings together Birmingham, Trussville, Norfolk Southern and federal partners to address blocked crossings between Woodlawn and Trussville.
Trapped by trains
Darrell O’Quinn, the Birmingham City Council member who represents the area, said residents of Harris Homes have long relied on an informal system to report blocked crossings.
They would contact O’Quinn when trains prevented them from entering or leaving the community. He would then relay those concerns to Norfolk Southern in hopes of getting the blockage addressed.
“I can tell you that that used to happen at least once a week, sometimes multiple times a week,” O’Quinn said. “And when I say once a week, this happened once a week for many decades.”
Residents could remain stuck for hours, he said, and in some cases potentially a day. Railroad operations have improved, reducing the frequency of the problem, but the blockages have not stopped entirely.
The consequences extend beyond missed appointments or late arrivals at work. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said he has heard from parents who cannot pick up their children from school and teachers who cannot get to work on time because trains block crossings.
“The noise, the delays, probably most frustrating again being trapped in neighborhoods due to block crossings,” Woodfin said.
He also pointed to the risks people take when they become frustrated or desperate. He said some drivers will try to beat trains which has resulted in deaths.
“We recognize that rail transportation is vital to commerce and economic growth, but we also recognize that the communities surrounding these rail operations deserve safe, reliable access to their homes, their schools, their businesses, and essential services,” he said.
The project is intended to address both sides of that issue: keeping freight moving through an important regional rail hub while giving people more reliable ways to travel through their communities.
Woodlawn has spent decades asking for relief
Jason Avery, president of the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, said his neighbors have advocated for at least 25 years over both blocked crossings and the noise from trains.
Avery, a public health professional, said the noise can interrupt sleep in the early morning hours. He described hearing horns and crossing alerts at 1, 2, 3 and 4 a.m.
He said the disruption is not only a quality-of-life concern but also a potential public health issue because of the health risks associated with prolonged noise exposure.
The proposed changes could reduce the need for trains to stop across roadways and could change the experience of living near some crossings. Avery said he is encouraged by the progress after years of advocacy.
“I actually have faith that this is going to be the cure of all of our ills,” he said.
The same story in Trussville
The project extends beyond Birmingham to Trussville, where city officials say blocked crossings also disrupt traffic and create concerns about emergency access.
“We continue to grow, but we have a lot of rail blockages that have a great impact on our residents and our businesses within the community,” Trussville Mayor Ben Short said.
Short described the partnership with Birmingham and Norfolk Southern as an example of regional cooperation.
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, who represents Alabama’s 6th Congressional District, said the project should improve public safety and quality of life, while demonstrating how local governments can work together to address shared problems.
“There’s an enormous amount of time that is spent by residents here at these railroad crossings — family time, " Palmer said. "It’s time away from work. It’s their time that’s being taken.”
What is R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N. Alabama?
R.E.D.E.S.I.G.N. stands for Reduce Extended Delays, Enhance Safety, and Invest in Growing Neighborhoods.
The project was announced in 2023 after Birmingham received an $8 million federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
At Monday's announcement, officials said Kimley-Horn had been selected to lead the design and environmental review phase. That work will help determine the final engineering plans and the steps needed before construction can begin.
The current proposal includes:
- Closing nine railroad crossings between Woodlawn and Trussville and redirecting traffic to grade-separated routes, which pass over or under the tracks
- Building a vehicle underpass at Brussels Avenue
- Building a pedestrian underpass near 59th Street
- Extending Fifth Avenue South to Brussels Avenue and adding a sidewalk along Fifth Avenue from 56th Street to Brussels Avenue
- Extending a railroad siding in Trussville about two miles into Norfolk Southern’s Norris Yard, allowing trains approaching or leaving the yard to pass without blocking motorists
- Building a bridge at Mary Taylor Road
The proposed changes are intended to give drivers and pedestrians safer alternatives while allowing trains to move more efficiently through the area.
Federal grant provides the largest share of the funding
U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, who represents the 7th Congressional District, said the federal grant is a critical step in moving the project forward.
“I am proud to secure the $8 million CRISI grant to the city of Birmingham,” Sewell said.
The funding came through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden. Sewell said the grant followed work by local officials and federal partners to explain how blocked crossings affect communities.
She specifically praised O’Quinn’s advocacy and recalled bringing federal railroad officials to Birmingham to see the problem firsthand, including conditions in Harris Homes.
In addition to the federal grant, Norfolk Southern is contributing $1.5 million, while Birmingham and Trussville are each contributing $250,000.
Sewell described the project as an example of public and private partners working together to address local problems.
“It’s about putting people first,” she said.
Norfolk Southern expects fewer stoppages
Norfolk Southern officials said the project should improve both rail operations and conditions for motorists.
Rodney Moore, the railroad’s vice president of transportation, said he had spoken with residents, business owners and local leaders about the impact of blocked crossings.
“We’ve worked hard to over the years to keep trains moving and crossings clear, but there comes a time where new infrastructure is the permanent solution,” Moore said. “Now is that time.”
Moore did not give a specific estimate of how much the project could reduce stoppages. When asked whether the project would eliminate the problem or simply reduce it, Moore said it would “significantly improve the number of stops.”
He said the railroad would continue its efforts to reduce delays while the project moves forward. Moore also said the project would help Norfolk Southern move trains more continuously through the area.
Still, a measurable baseline for how often crossings are blocked today would help officials and others evaluate whether the project delivers its intended results after construction.
From design to construction
Although Monday’s announcement marks a significant step, officials acknowledged the project will take time.
O’Quinn said design and engineering work, which this funding covers, is expected to take two to three years. The next phase will determine how much construction will cost, where funding will come from and construction timelines.
“This is a generational project,” O’Quinn said, noting it will not happen overnight.
