HOUSTON – A proposed plan could offer some Fifth Ward residents some relief, as stalled trains have become a major nuisance and sparked safety concerns.
City of Houston leaders, who toured the area with federal officials Wednesday, hope to stop a merger that would worsen the problem.
At the intersection of Navigation and Mack, the slow screech marks the start of a wait all too familiar at the East End.
Mayor Sylvester Turner said that there are “a number of train stoppages” that sometimes drivers have to wait upwards of an hour.
“People are so frustrated not just that people that live here can’t get to work, can’t get to school, it is having a very negative impact on businesses,” said Karla Cisneros, Houston City Councilor, District H.
Tracking a train passing by at 7:06 p.m. Wednesday, two trains had passed--with one stopped.
In April, KPRC 2 shared a cellphone video of dismissal time at McReynolds Middle School,
District I City Councilor Robert Gallegos testified last month in Washington DC — before the federal Surface Transportation Board sharing concerns over a railroad merger would lead to even more trains stalled on Houston’s tracks.
“Year-to-date we’ve had over 900 cases where EMS vehicles could not get through because of stalled trains,” he said. “You’re looking at the possibility of nine to 14 more trains in the Houston area, which we do not need.”
The proposed merger is between the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Kansas City Southern.
Local leaders are calling on residents to voice their concerns about the project.