By Dan Linehan
MANKATO — The site of a train-truck collision that killed two county workers July 13 has been on a list to receive safety improvements.
Of the 4,300 railroad intersections in Minnesota, only about 1,300 have electronic safety systems such as gates and warning lights, said Julie Carr of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s railroad office.
Most crossings have only signs.
In Blue Earth County, there are 51 railroad crossings and 19 of them have upgraded electronic systems.
The County Road 112 crossing near Lake Crystal, the site of the deadly accident, was added to the list of projects seeking federal funding for safety improvements last year, Carr said.
The state doles out federal money using a list of criteria including sight lines down the railroad tracks, daily road and train traffic, train speed, vehicle speed and past accidents.
Each crossing upgrade costs about $250,000 — though it varies because the railroad companies do the work and have varying expenses — and the state received about $5.4 million last year, Carr said.
Blue Earth County Engineer Al Forsberg said MnDOT’s “rational, objective” system is better than one based on political patronage or influence.
His support for the system hasn’t wavered even after two of his employees died at an intersection that was unimproved.
Jack M. Baker, 42, of Le Center, and Todd J. Ziegler, 43, of Mankato, were killed when the county dump truck they were traveling in was struck by three Union Pacific locomotives near Lake Crystal. Baker, who was driving the truck south on County Road 112, had been with the department for 10 years. Ziegler, a passenger in the truck, was a 16-year veteran of the department.
This particular crossing sees an average of five trains per day with speeds of 49 mph, among the fastest speeds seen at the county’s crossings. It features a stop sign, yield sign and a crossbuck (an X-shaped crossing sign).
Just a mile away, at the intersection of County Road 114, safety upgrades were recently approved by MnDOT. Forsberg said that’s just a more dangerous spot.
“I can’t argue that they chose the wrong one in that case,” he said.
Between three and seven people per year have died in train accidents over the last few years in Minnesota, Carr said.
But even gates that swing down when a train approaches don’t solve the problem, Carr said. About half of accidents occur even with the gates because motorists drive around them.
Forsberg said the State Patrol hasn’t yet finished its investigation of the crash.
Benefit accounts set up for families
Benefit accounts have been established for the families of Blue Earth County highway department employees Jack Baker and Todd Ziegler, who were killed in a July 13 train collision.
Donations are accepted at all Wells Federal Banks and the county highway department, located at 35 Map Drive in Mankato.
Checks can be made payable to the Todd Ziegler Benefit Account and/or the Jack Baker Benefit Account.
Those with more questions can call the highway department at 507-304-4025.
