A Broken Promise? Hammond’s Fight for a Safe Crossing After a ProPublica Investigation
In Hammond, Indiana, a bitter dispute has erupted over a promised solution to a dangerous and daily reality for schoolchildren: blocked railroad crossings. Mayor Thomas McDermott alleges that Norfolk Southern Railway has reneged on a commitment to fund a critical pedestrian overpass, a project born from a 2023 ProPublica and InvestigateTV investigation that exposed children crawling over and under idling freight trains to get to school. Without the railroad’s financial match, the mayor states the pedestrian bridge project is dead.
The Investigation and the Initial Promise
The investigation revealed Hammond, a Chicago suburb nestled within the nation’s busiest rail hub, had become a de facto parking lot for Norfolk Southern trains. Long trains routinely blocked key intersections near schools, forcing children to navigate hazardous gaps between rail cars. Following the publication, then-Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw personally contacted Mayor McDermott. According to the mayor, Shaw committed to covering the full local match—$2.6 million—required for a federal grant the city was pursuing.
That commitment, however, was never put in writing. Shaw was fired by the railroad in 2024. Under new CEO Mark George, Norfolk Southern now disputes any such promise was made. The company acknowledges it paid $450,000 for initial engineering and “assisted” with the grant application but denies agreeing to the matching funds.
Operational Changes and Ongoing Dangers
After the investigation, Norfolk Southern implemented operational changes, rerouting trains to a different location to minimize school impact. The company points to a nearly 50% drop in blocked crossing calls to its communications center as evidence of success. Yet, local accounts tell a different story. Hammond School Board President Carlotta Blake-King reports children were seen traversing a stopped train as recently as last week at a different location. Mayor McDermott says he, too, has observed a return of blockages, fearing the improvements are temporary.
A Norfolk Southern spokesperson acknowledged the recent blockage but called it “not typical,” emphasizing that trains “normally have clear passage” and reiterating the safety message: “We never want to inconvenience our communities… and we encourage everyone to always stay off railroad tracks.” The company maintains its 2023 changes are effective and working.
The Funding Gap and a Distant Solution
In June 2023, Hammond secured a $7.7 million federal grant for the pedestrian overpass, contingent on the local $2.6 million match. With Shaw’s alleged verbal commitment, the project seemed viable. Now, without Norfolk Southern’s promised contribution, that match is unavailable. The city’s alternative is a separate, larger vehicle overpass project slated for completion no earlier than 2029. While that project includes pedestrian pathways, officials note it would require students to walk an additional mile or more, rendering it useless for the immediate school routes.
State Representative Carolyn Jackson (D-Hammond), who has previously introduced legislation on blocked crossings, voices a community-wide fear: “I don’t want the community’s children to grow up thinking that crawling under or over the train is a way of life.” She and Mayor McDermott share a haunting concern that without the pedestrian bridge, a severe injury or fatality is inevitable. “I hope to God, and I pray it never happens,” McDermott said.
The Bigger Picture: A National Issue
The standoff in Hammond spotlights a growing national challenge. As freight trains become longer, idling and blockages in towns and cities have increased, straining community relations and public safety. Norfolk Southern reported $2.9 billion in profit for 2025, according to SEC filings, underscoring the financial disparity between the railroad’s resources and the community’s needs. The situation raises persistent questions about corporate responsibility in the communities their infrastructure traverses.
For now, Hammond’s children continue to navigate a perilous shortcut, caught between a broken promise and a long-term infrastructure timeline. The dispute leaves a key question unanswered: who bears the ultimate cost when a handshake agreement dissolves?
