Residents of one Fort Worth neighborhood are accustomed to having their commutes disrupted by passing trains, but a recent delay was beyond the pale for some local community members.
On Tuesday, a Union Pacific train sat idle across the roadway in the 2900 block of Tinsley Lane, blocking the only path in and out of the Vista Ranch subdivision. The train did not move for hours, leaving local residents landlocked, according to NBC 5 DFW.
A Union Pacific spokesperson told NBC 5 in an email that the train was stopped due to “train congestion from another railroad on the route it was traveling.”
“We continuously work to minimize blocked crossings caused by stopped trains,” said the spokesperson. “Our goal is to keep trains moving, and we are working to move rail shipments more efficiently.”
Jack Neal, whose son lives in the Vista Ranch community, said that it is common for trains to disrupt traffic in this area, adding that drivers can be stuck between one and three hours waiting. Tuesday’s travel disruption lasted four hours, NBC 5 reported.
“Two different people missed flights yesterday, and somebody else down here missed a funeral. And I mean, we’ve been late getting kids to school,” said Neal.
“It happens every couple of months,” said Jason Dryer, another community resident. “I’ve been living here almost ten years now, and it’s been going on the whole time I’ve been here.”
The railroad entity issued a statement apologizing to the community for the disruption, but citizens remain frustrated with the constant delays.
“We feel like they just don’t care,” said Beverly Penn, who was stuck at the crossing after driving her husband to work. She said she is often late to work because of the train crossing delays.
The office of Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez confirmed that it was aware of the issue and said the county is currently planning to build a road to alleviate the problem. However, that solution could take years to come to fruition.
