If city officials are under that impression, there's a reason: Railroads - particularly those in the freight business - have shown repeatedly that they couldn't care less about local communities or governments. Legally, they answer only to the federal government. In practice, it's the federal government that answers to them.
When Baltimore complains about unresponsive railroads, you'd better believe it has CSX in mind. The city and the railroad have a history. Remember that little tunnel fire that shut down much of downtown back in 2001?
Baltimore is urging the Congress to direct that agency and the Surface Transportation Board to develop "good neighbor" requirements for the nation's railroads. It seems like an innocuous request, but it's the kind of proposal that will mobilize an army of industry lobbyists.
In recent years, there have been some signs of a mellowing of the culture of institutional arrogance in railroad boardrooms. Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, who remembers the difficulties of dealing with CSX from his days as Baltimore County executive, told me recently that he has noticed a new responsiveness in CSX management. Gov. Martin O'Malley recently commented favorably on improvements to the appearance of the railroad's right-of-way in Baltimore.
Garrick Francis, a CSX spokesman, said the company has gone a long way to be responsive to local government and citizen concerns - in Baltimore and elsewhere.
"We're constantly focused on moving our customers' products safely and efficiently and working with the communities we serve to make a positive contribution," he said.
That's all very nice. But it would be better to have something you can enforce in place.
Congress and the Obama administration ought to hold the railroads' feet to the fire in the new authorization bill. The railroads shouldn't be regulated at the local level, but they should face painful federal penalties if they blow off state and local concerns.
Both literally and figuratively, it's time that the railroads mended their fences.
