From: Terry Marbach
Columbus
An alternative to the train problem in Columbus would be the following:
Straight-line the track from south of the State Road 46 crossing to north of the Flat Rock River, at which point it would curve east to tie in to the existing track on the east side of Indianapolis Road.
This would allow trains to travel at 30 to 60 mph through the State Road 46 crossing. A mile-long train would thus only take 1 to 2 minutes to clear the crossing, surely a tolerable time for traffic to be stopped. This option would also take the train traffic and noise away from near downtown and Mill Race Park (no more marathon incidents) and Noblitt Park.
The cost would shift to the railroad from taxpayers. Since it is the one desiring to change its historical use of the tracks, it only seems right that the railroad should pay the cost of doing so. The bridge over the narrower Flat Rock should be less expensive than what it would pay to rebuild the bridge over the wider East Fork of the White River. One would also think that the railroad would be in favor of a solution that allows its trains to travel at a faster speed.
Certainly this solution would allow the entrance to Columbus to remain attractive versus what it will be if an overpass is built.
