Shelby County Commission tackle solution for trains stopped on tracks in Brantleyville

One way in and one way out.Dozens of people living in Shelby County's Brantleyville community are held hostage every day by trains stopping on the tracks.

Lacritia Futral is one of them.

She said, "the whole problem is that we have no way around the train."

Futral added trains will sit "sometimes two to three times a day and it could be thirty minutes, or it could be four hours. It has been 12 hours before."

Trains are putting lives on pause. Futral and her neighbors worry about worst case scenarios.

"My dad has some heart issues, and he doesn't live right here but I wouldn't be able to get to him" she said.

The mother and wife said, "I own my own business and so thankfully I got a lot of customers that are ok with us, you know, having to reschedule or visits but there are people that have jobs that are eight to five and they can't get to their jobs."

Futral has been very vocal about finding a solution. She has called her state representative, Norfolk Southern and Shelby County commissioners to find a fix to the problem.

Shelby County commissioners are planning to build a gravel road for first responders and neighbors to use. It would start towards the back of their community and run two to three miles to CR22. County Commissioner Jon Parker said the county is still in the process of acquiring private property to make this possible. He's optimistic it will all work out by the Summer so the road can be built to county standards.

Project costs are still being negotiated. Parker said this project is something he wants to see happen.

See Also: Stopped train blocks railroad crossing in Bessemer
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"They're trapped in there and they're our people so we gotta fix the problem" he said.

Futral has lived in Brantleyville for seven years. She is thankful state and county leaders are hearing her cries for help because soon her community will have a county-maintained alternate passage to get in and out in case of emergencies or to bypass trains.

She said, "very thankful."