Reno County Commissioners were in agreement Tuesday to try and reach a compromise with farmers and the Union Pacific Railroad over the closing of five crossings in the county located between Hutchinson and Turon. This is along K-61 where the railroad runs parallel to the highway and at an angle running northeast and southwest, while the cross roads run either east-west, or north-south.

The railroad want to close the crossings for safety reasons, while farmers say it isn’t necessary and would force them to take heavy farm machinery onto K-61.

During the commission meeting, the county decided to pursue closing just two crossings, one at Greenfield and the other on South Sylvia Road. They would then place signals at Red Rock and Sterling Roads. The other crossing would remain open.

This is the second time in four years that Union Pacific has been before the county asking that the roads be closed citing the increase in the number and speeds of trains that use that line. They say the sharp angle of the line runs through the county makes for blind spots at crossings. Efforts to close any crossings has been turned down by the commission in the past.

They will have to wait for all the legal paperwork to be completed before they can actually take action on the matter.