A railroad has run through New Martinsville for as long as anyone now living can remember, built in 1852. The Short Line Railroad was added in the 1890s.

Why this brief history? It illustrates that we understand the importance and the inconveniences of the railroad. We have lived with it all of our lives. For the most part, we accept it. Sometimes we don’t even notice the train whistles or the low groaning of the engines. It is part of our lifestyle.

But the excessive and inconvenient blockages of roads by trains that area residents have experienced lately is not normal. It is not accepted.

We hope the meeting held last week can help bring about some changes-perhaps some enforcement or some understanding — on both sides of the tracks.