Don't Put Your Abandoned Railroad Cars in my backyard!

Beacon Media News

Monrovia Wants Abandoned Railroad Cars Removed

In Recent months graffiti has been a topic of great debate in our cities. In fact, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s dept. did a major early morning probation sweep of potential violations (many of whom were graffiti related). Now the taggers who have not yet been arrested have a another canvas on which to paint their particular “art”…the abandoned and aging freight railroad cars which are rusting away on the old railroad tracks in Monrovia.

The railroad cars belong to BNSF Railroad (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) and they (the multiple railroad cars) are apparently their responsibility. The right-of-way belongs to the Gold Line Extension Construction Authority, with an easement from the MTA.

The MTA gave BNSF permission to park their unused rail cars on the tracks along Duarte Road where they are an “attractive nuisance” to graffiti vandals and people seeking shelter. The City of Monrovia, along with Arcadia (which also has cars parked on its tracks) has been meeting with the Gold Line, BNSF and the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) to get the cars moved. All parties say they want resolution. It’s up to the MTA and BNSF to get them removed.

In a statement sent to the Monrovia Weekly regarding the unsightly railway cars, Mayor Rob Hammond said: “The MTA says that its wants to see the Gold Line built, but then they go and allow the tracks in our community to be used as a storage yard. There’s a conflicted message here. It’s like the man who proposes marriage, but just can’t seem to set the date. It’s hard to believe they really mean what they say.

“These rail cars parked in our city are a nuisance and should be removed as soon as possible.”

Photos by Terry Miller