MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (AP) - Freight trains passing through a southwest Ohio city are now traveling at speeds up to 15 mph faster under new regulations from Norfolk Southern railroad.
Norfolk Southern notified officials in Middletown earlier this month that it was raising speeds on its main line from 25 to 40 mph effective Nov. 8.
Six rail crossings are affected by the increase: Manchester Road, Wildwood Road, Manchester Avenue, Central Avenue, First Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue.
Railroad spokesman David Pidgeon says 18 to 22 trains travel through Middletown daily. The line connects Cincinnati to Dayton and Columbus.
Pidgeon says speed limit increases are based on rail conditions, and tracks throughout the city are rated for 40 mph by trains.
Of the six crossings, five have a history of fatalities or injuries since 1975.
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