BUCYRUS, Ohio — A federal judge has ruled that municipalities in Ohio can no longer cite railroads for blocking crossings. The decision came after CSX Transportation sued the City of Defiance arguing it did not have to pay city fines, the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum reports.
Judge James J. Carr of the United States District Court of Northern Ohio made the ruling in April and stated that federal law governing railroads preempts state law.
The issue came to a head a few years ago after CSX blocked a number of crossings in the region, including in one extreme instance, where a crossing was blocked for 15 hours. A local court fined the railroad $1,000 in that instance.
