Fillmore residents take issue with 84-rail car eyesore
A group of Fillmore-area residents expressed frustration that 84 train cars parked on a rail near Old Telegraph Road have become targets for graffiti and are bringing what they described as an increased presence of gangs to the area.
The Ventura County Transportation Commission hosted an informational meeting Aug. 15 at Fillmore City Hall with officials, including from the transportation commission and Sierra Northern Railway. The rail company is contracted by the commission to operate and maintain what's called the Santa Paula Branch line where the rail cars sit.
Officials listened to residents’ complaints about the parked rail cars and other concerns.
"If Sierra Northern continues to demonstrate that they are unwilling to listen or make changes to move these rail cars, I ask that we start the steps to terminate this contract before it goes any further," said resident Susan Jolley.
Tracy Stewart said the rail cars have changed a beautiful, agricultural neighborhood into a railyard.
“We now experience a major problem with unsightly rail cars full of blight, graffiti throughout the neighborhood, and an overall devaluation of our community,” Stewart said. “You and the VCTC are responsible for that, and we’re not going to accept it.”
The train cars sit idle because Sierra Northern signed a confidential agreement with a customer to store empty, non-hazardous rail cars on the line, said Kennan Beard, president and CEO of Sacramento-based rail company in an email.
The rail cars were originally destined for the rural tracks near Piru but a train bridge over Sespe Creek in the Fillmore area washed away after the cars arrived in mid to late January, he said.
Amanda Fagan, Ventura County Transportation Commission's planning and sustainability director, said repairs for the bridge would be finished in the summer of 2024.
Beard said Sierra Northern does not have the "locomotive horsepower" to move all 84 cars out of sight of Old Telegraph Road, which would take two to three locomotives to handle the entire train at once.
He said they could move 30 to 40 train cars about a mile or 2 to the west but the remaining cars can't be pulled.
The cars came into town in batches 20 to 30 at a time so Sierra Northern was able to put them where they sit, he said.
Beard said the cars can be moved if the bridge is fixed or if the rail customer requests the parked cars be put back into service.
If the rail customer calls the cars back into service, they will be hauled through Santa Paula to Ventura where Sierra Northern interchanges with Union Pacific, he said.
Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long, who also attended Tuesday's meeting, said she was sympathetic and wanted to work with everyone.
"I want to apologize to all of you who have to see that," said Long, adding she was apologizing for herself. "I take this fully at heart and my office will definitely be following up on this. We're trying to work together."
Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Fillmore residents take issue with 84-rail car eyesore
