It has been a year since CSX Transportation’s train derailed in the community of Hyndman, PA—scattering 33 tanker cars filled with liquid propane that forced the evacuation of 1,000 local residents and destroyed many of their homes as blazing fires erupted on the outskirts of the small town.

Yet, this was not the first time that the Bedford county community crossed horns with the rail giant. The small community has battled CSX for years before this latest accident.

"They just do what they want to do and it's not right,” said Bedford County Commissioner Barry Dalara. It’s a major problem for a little community where a train passes by nearly every hour, 24 hours a day.

For many small towns, the issue is that of crossing maintenance—an intersection between trains and townspeople that, if neglected, can lead to property destruction, serious injury or even death.

In Perrysburg, Ohio, deteriorating CSX railroad crossings are to a point that their condition has become hazardous to the driving public—a problem that is alarming city officials. “Each of these crossings is a potential conflict point,” said Chairman of the Safety Committee Harz Ghanbari, “A potential accident with a pedestrian or a vehicle… It's dangerous.”

Like many cities and towns, these rural communities must cross paths with railroad tracks throughout their day. The condition of the tracks and the impact of non-stop, round-the-clock train traffic is a serious concern for those who must live so close to these busy rails because collisions and derailments are a constant worry.

Beverly Shaffer, a resident of Hyndman, sums things up for many of the local residents, “Everybody's on edge...we had a second derailment last year. It's scary.”

A Chairman of nearby Londonderry Township, Steve Stouffer, puts the concerns into perspective, “It could happen again. You just have to hope and pray it doesn't.”

Behemoth railroad companies like CSX have a duty to the individuals and communities through which their tracks run. Delays, train derailments, and badly maintained tracks cause disruptions as well as put lives in danger. Ultimately, individuals should feel safe in their own neighborhoods and not have to endure such a blatant disregard for potential injury by the entity entrusted with their safety.