Union Pacific Offers No Details On Stopped Train That Jammed Pass Area

BEAUMONT, CA — A day after a stopped train on Union Pacific Railroad tracks delayed Pass Area motorists for hours, the company has not explained what happened.

An emailed statement Thursday from Robynn Tysver, a communications manager for the railroad, apologized for the community's more than six-hour "inconvenience" but did not provide answers despite direct questions about the incident.

"We apologize for the wait times residents experienced yesterday near Beaumont, California," Tysver wrote. "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. Again, we are sorry for the inconvenience."

The stopped train was reported to the Beaumont Police Department shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday. According to the department, the train was blocking traffic at three spots in the city: Pennsylvania Avenue near Interstate 10, California Avenue near Luis Estrada Road, and Viele Avenue near Luis Estrada Road.

Officers were immediately dispatched to help with traffic control, but the area was quickly becoming a parking lot, according to many who were stuck in the traffic.

"People were trying to push their overheated cars to the side. Others were driving over meridians, trying to take the field & ending up trying to merge back into the mess of both directions," a commenter wrote on Beaumont PD's Facebook page.

The city apparently received few details from the railroad about the incident, and law enforcement resources were spread thin due to enormous traffic congestion caused by the stopped train.

By 5 p.m., the police department still had "very little information from Union Pacific about the nature of the blockage and the expected duration," the agency reported on social media. The department called for extra resources to assist with traffic control at city intersections. Oncoming shift officers, however, were delayed by the rush-hour traffic congestion, which further delayed response to clear the areas.

"The area where the train was stopped, and the volume of vehicles in that timeframe quickly oversaturated the few roadways not directly impacted by the train," the police department reported. "Once sufficient personnel was in place to coordinate vehicle movement at multiple locations simultaneously, officers were able to move some of the congestion out of the area."

After numerous calls to Union Pacific Railroad for updates, around 7:30 p.m. local police were told a crew was on-site and would be moving the train within 30 minutes.

That timeline then moved into over an hour.

"We were told the crews had discovered the train had been tampered with and there was another mechanical issue that prevented the train from being moved yet again," according to Beaumont police. "Finally, at approximately 9 p.m. the Beaumont Police Department was notified the train had been moved and the intersections were clear."

The city and its police department reported local officials will be carefully reviewing how the situation occurred and how incidents like it can be prevented in the future.

The city and police thanked residents.

"We know emotions were high, but we are thankful there were no reported injuries," according to city officials' statement on social media.

Despite the lengthy backups, law enforcement was able to respond to all emergency calls, according to Beaumont police.

Union Pacific Railroad owns and operates a number of miles of railroad right of way in Beaumont.