Nesquehoning considers new access point to New Columbus section

A train derailment last month is making Nesquehoning officials think about the need to create a second access point to the New Columbus section of the borough.

On Wednesday, borough solicitor Robert Yurchak suggested to borough council that now is the time to begin thinking about grant opportunities to create a second access to New Columbus after six cars on a Reading and Northern freight train derailed at the intersection of Mermon Avenue, shutting down the road to vehicles and forcing Panther Valley Elementary School to shut down for a day until railroad crews could rebuild a portion of the track to remove the car blocking the road.

The derailment happened around 3 p.m. on Feb. 9 as a freight train was traveling through the borough. For unknown reasons, the track was compromised, causing the last few cars, which were filled with paper products and plastic pellets, to come off the track and rip up rail before coming to rest.

Yurchak told council that if the train was longer and the derailment caused both Mermon Avenue and Allen Street to be blocked, it would have essentially cut the town in half without proper access to getting out for some residents.

“If (the train) had gone back far enough, you would have no access,” he said. “Except for possibly a dirt road.”

Councilman Frank Jacobs cited a freight train last week that came through hauling approximately 90 cars.

Councilman George Sabol asked where council could begin gathering information about grants for access routes.

Yurchak said state Rep. Doyle Heffley or Sen. John Yudichak are good places to start.

No further discussion or action was taken.