Local

Stopped train blocks firefighters on Jacksonville's Westside

Cellphone video from a driver shows multiple Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department trucks struggling to respond to an emergency on Jacksonville’s Westside because of a stopped train Tuesday morning.

The train blocked the tracks at the Chaffee Road crossing in Whitehouse, inconveniencing first responders, drivers trying to get to work, and children trying to get to school.

Multiple JFRD trucks were driving on West Beaver Street, trying to turn onto Chaffee Road to get to a vehicle that was on fire.

JFRD spokesman Tom Francis said a civilian put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.

The train was stopped from about 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

“We got stopped for an hour and 40 minutes,” said Sheri Davis, who was trying to drop her granddaughter off at Whitehouse Elementary School just down the street. “Very (frustrating), especially when you’ve got 1 acre to go to school.”

The train made so many students late, the school decided no to mark any of them as tardy.

James Dyer had just finished working the night shift and all he wanted was to go home and sleep.

“I sat at it for probably 45 minutes before I turned around and went back to the interstate,” said Dyer.

A CSX spokesperson said an engine on the train and stalled, and the company had to bring in another engine to replace it before the train could get moving again.

She said CSX apologizes for the “huge inconvenience” and is reviewing its communication process to see if anything could have been done better.

The CSX spokesperson sent Action News Jax the following statement:

"A westbound CSX train stopped at approximately 8:10 a.m. today after the locomotive experienced engine trouble, blocking the Chafee Road crossing. CSX apologizes for the inconvenience this caused the surrounding community this morning. We work hard to avoid these situations and to keep trains moving efficiently to their destinations. CSX worked as quickly as possible to get a new locomotive to the disabled train, and the crew continued their route by 10 a.m. CSX was in communication with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to keep them updated on the situation, and we are reviewing the events this morning to see if any improvements can be made to minimize the impacts to the community."