Windstream phone repairs delayed further
Repairs needed to restore landline telephone service to more than 200 Windstream customers in Texarkana, Ark., will be delayed until Monday, lengthening the outage to more than a month.
Those customers have been without service since June 23, when a Union Pacific train struck an overhead phone cable that had been loosened by a rain storm and was drooping over the track, according to Windstream spokesman Scott Morris.
The railroad required a right of entry agreement before Windstream could access the property to make its repairs, and a UP safety crew must be on site while the work is done, Morris said. Windstream also had to pay UP for an easement allowing the cable to cross over six railroad tracks where the train struck it.
The logistics of doing the work at a busy rail yard have caused scheduling difficulty, but UP is moving as fast as possible, spokesperson Kristen South said.
“Work like this is a lot like working on an interstate. We need more than a couple of hours of notice to move the cars, clear the area so that it’s safe for Windstream to come in and do the work that they need to do. …
“I understand how frustrating it is for those people who continue to be without service, but we have to be sure that we can continue to serve the businesses
in the area that depend on us. We need to make sure the employees have notice,” South said.
Windstream previously said the work would begin July 23 and could be completed by July 24.
Another problem with the same cable was resolved last week. On Friday, workers completed repairs to an underground cable that was accidentally cut July 9, reconnecting phones for about 400 Windstream customers.
Windstream asks any customers affected by the July 9 outage who are still experiencing service problems to call 800-347-1991.