Special to the WJH Waycross City Commissioner Katrena Felder took the occasion of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday to observe national day of service by volunteering to collaborate with CSX Transportation on community improvement.
The District 3 representative worked with a CSX team to help ensure safety for all drivers on a project upgrading railroad infrastucture around the city. A portion of the work was a target of Felder’s.
“I really appreciate how CSX leadership was responsive to my call to action several months ago regarding the issues with the city's railroad crossings,” the commissioner said. “CSX’s commitment not only shows the community that everyone's safety matters, but when we communicate with each other, we can effectively resolve community matters better by working together.”
CSX processes 860,000 cars a year in its Rice Yard in Waycross. The com-pany currently is in the process of repairing and replacing railroad tracks, repairing old fencing, cleaning and clearing CSX property of overgrown vegetation and debris all across the City of Waycross.
Part of that work involved CSX crews replacing railroad tracks and laying fresh asphalt on Jenkins Street in District 3. Felder said train vibration and bending, weather damage and years of travel caused small defects in the rails, which had grown into larger problems.
This was evident by the flood that impacted the city a little more than a month ago.
“I enjoyed visiting the railroad site on Jenkins Street in District 3 and spending MLK, Jr. holiday talking with CSX employees,” Felder said. “This time allowed me to gain a deeper insight on how CSX builds and lay the tracks and asphalt for railroad crossings. I believe this joint effort is a part of Dr. King’s dream, which is to be a servant leader at any capacity who exist to serve the people.”
CSX has been committed to improving the rail transportation needs of the communities it serves for nearly 200 years.
