Stalled Train Derails Traffic For Hours In Pass Area: Rep. Ruiz Speaks

BANNING, CA—A broken-down train derailed traffic for four hours Wednesday in Banning, Beaumont, and Cabazon, officials say, creating an emergency responder nightmare.

Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz, in a statement to his constituents, called the four-hour stoppage "unacceptable."

Shortly after 4 p.m., a Union Pacific train halted at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway. According to Union Pacific Railroad, the train began its departure at approximately 7:45 p.m. Riverside County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the train did not fully depart the area until almost 8:15 p.m., four hours after the incident began.

Stalled train causing major traffic in the Cabazon area. Has Delayed medical services as well . pic.twitter.com/9uimfuQems
— Local_Informant01 (@LInformant01) November 14, 2024

The Banning Unified School District informed families that the stalled train delayed at least three busses. The district texted parents that all students were safe, and food arrangements were made for children stuck on the buses. "Dispatch is contacting parents for transportation needs, and pick-up will be at the high school."

A Union Pacific spokesperson told KESQ they experienced a cab lighting issue, forcing the engineers to stop in the area. It took four hours to get the train moving again, disrupting traffic through Banning, Beaumont, and Cabazon, which was "unacceptable," according to a statement from Rep. Raul Ruiz's (25th District) office.

"There is yet another stoppage of Union Pacific trains in the Pass area, this time in Cabazon, blocking traffic," Ruiz stated. "I am outraged that this keeps happening. It puts my constituents at risk with delays in first responder calls, and costs our communities a lot to address."

One resident claimed in response to Dr. Ruiz that her mother nearly was airlifted from their home to a waiting ambulance during the incident. Cal Fire says that Rescue 9 was on alert but was not needed in this case. Still, transports to the hospital were delayed due to closed roadways.

"It's not out of the ordinary for emergency responders to work around stopped trains in that area," a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesperson told Patch.

Residents also claim the sheer length of the trains causes issues when they are stuck in that area. A 9,000-foot train is 1.7 miles long, around half the length of the city of Cabazon.

Union Pacific Railroad states its average train length is 9,000 feet or less, constituting "nine laps around a football field," their website states. That equates to over 1.5 miles long.

"A 9,000-foot train takes about four minutes to go through an intersection, "about the length of your favorite song." Still, 3 percent of Union Pacific Railroad's train fleet is 15,000 feet long. A spokesperson for the railroad says they have not operated a train longer than 20,000 feet in 2024.

Union Pacific released a statement to Patch regarding the incident:

"We apologize to the community for the disruption. We continuously work to minimize blocked crossings caused by stopped trains. Our goal is to keep trains moving, and we are working to move rail shipments more efficiently. Drivers and pedestrians can report blocked crossings on Union Pacific tracks by calling our 24/7 Response Management Communications Center at 1 (888) 877-7267. They can also call the phone number posted near railroad crossings."