(The Brownsville Herald posted the following article by Kevin Garcia on its website on April 16.)
LOS FRESNOS, Texas — Brownsville motorists cope with trains blocking roadways on a daily basis, but that temporary inconvenience is dwarfed by the dilemma some face in Los Fresnos.
Canal Street, in the city s residential area, has been blocked by a train since 12:19 p.m. Monday.
Five damaged Union Pacific Railroad train cars have been stuck there since a derailment caused the rail to break and the cars to spill tons of their chipped limestone shipment.
The accident caused 300 feet of rail damage and ripped out part of the intersecting street.
Chief of Police Johnny Cavazos said that emergency officials were not told about the incident until a citizen called it in at 12:41 p.m. Police, fire and emergency medical services arrived at the scene minutes later, he said. Fire and EMS officials remained on site until they determined the train was not carrying hazardous materials.
Even if it does not pose any health or environmental risks, City Manager Marty Mangum said Union Pacific needs to address the problem.
“They said they would move it today (Tuesday), but it doesn t look like it,” Mangum said.
Rails can be replaced quickly and any street damage will be repaired by Union Pacific, Davis said.
“It could take a few days, but they were hoping to have picked it up by late Tuesday or early Wednesday,” Davis said.
He added that the strip of damaged track is not an immediate problem for Union Pacific s operations.
“That branch doesn t see many trains,” Davis said. “It doesn t affect the main line so trains can go around the area.”
Mangum said the need is not urgent for Los Fresnos, either.
“It kind of tore up our street & and it s a nuisance for it to be spilled on Canal Street,” Mangum said. “Luckily it s not blocking any other intersection.”
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, but Cavazos said Union Pacific officials believe weather may have played a part.
“It looks to me like the tracks weren t well kept, but I m not a train expert,” Mangum said.
No official cause will be released until the investigation has completed.
“The guys go into the investigation with an open mind,” Davis said.