What Happened to the Trees By the Railroad Tracks Off East Campus?

Local residents and Duke employees have been asking why trees lining the railroad tracks by East Campus were cut down this past week. Durham city officials contacted this week said the trees were on property owned by Southern Railways and were removed along with other overgrown vegetation for railroad safety reasons.

Durham city councilman and Duke employee Mike Woodard received the following explanation from Kevin Lilley, assistant director of general services for the city.

"Over the past several days, and continuing this week, Southern Railways will be clearing overgrown vegetation along their expanse of railways at the intersections through the City of Durham. We have been in contact with the assistant superintendent of Southern and their plan is to begin along Main Street at Hillsborough and Anderson working east," Lilley said.

Woodard said Southern is following federal mandates related to safety and visibility at RR crossings. However, city officials were not initially aware of the timing of the company's work; currently city workers are monitoring the work.

"The city has no ability to mandate what is cut back or removed. The vegetation is in the railroad's right of way, and it must follow federal guidelines," Woodard said.