Here’s Why A Train Blocked A Tonawanda Crossing For Hours

This just doesn't sound right to me.  The story may be true, but is this really allowed to happen?  The crew aboard a CSX train on Friday stopped the train in the Town of Tonawanda, got off and went home.  As a result a railroad crossing just a half mile away from Kenmore Mercy Hospital was blocked for hours until a new crew got on board and moved the train.

The reason the first crew gave for leaving the train was that they had worked the maximum number of hours according to federal law and were forced to shut down operations.  CSX was short-staffed, so until they could put a crew together the train remained in place blocking the Woodward Avenue crossing near Military Road for several hours.

If there had been an emergency of any type, police, rescue crews, ambulances or fire trucks would have been forced to go several miles out of their way to reach their destination.  And even more appalling was that crossing is just around the corner from Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

I realize the federal work hours regulation is to insure the public safety, but the way this train crew handled it, they threatened public safety.  How is that OK?  Is that legal?  How can they just stop the train blocking a crossing - near a hospital - and morally feel there's nothing wrong with that?

If it was a mechanical problem, that's a different story.  But for a crew to intentionally stop a train and knowingly block a crossing is unconscionable.