Walkway Over Dangerous Train Crossing Is Dead After Norfolk Southern Backtracks on Funds, Mayor Says

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott says Norfolk Southern has backed out of a commitment to fund a $2.6 million local match for a $7.7 million federally-funded pedestrian overpass at a rail crossing where children routinely crawl under or over idled trains to reach school. The railroad's previous CEO, Alan Shaw, allegedly promised to cover the cost after a 2023 ProPublica investigation exposed the danger, but current CEO Mark George's company disputes ever making such a commitment and says it provided only $450,000. Without Norfolk Southern's funding, McDermott said the overpass project is dead, though a vehicle overpass planned for the same area won't be completed until at least 2029 and won't help most students who would need to walk a mile out of their way. State Rep. Carolyn Jackson warned that without the bridge, "a child will be severely injured or killed in Hammond." Norfolk Southern reported $2.9 billion in profit in 2025 and said its 2023 operational changes reduced blocked crossing calls by nearly 50 percent, though local officials report ongoing blockages near schools.