Traffic jammed in Beaumont when a train unexpectedly blocked city intersections for hours

A review was underway in Beaumont Thursday after drivers were left stranded in traffic jams throughout the city due to a freight train that blocked three major intersections for hours.

Beaumont Police say they were notified of a Union Pacific train that had stopped on the railroad tracks in the city at 2:48 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

The stopped train was blocking cars that saw intersections quickly backed up at the rail crossings on Pennsylvania near Interstate 10, California Avenue, near Luis Estrada, and Viele Avenue, also near Luis Estrada.

The blocked intersections and planned I-10 tune-up construction only gave drivers two options to avoid those intersections, and those alternate roads also became jammed.

Police officers were called in to handle calls on the north and south sides of the train tracks and also to direct traffic, but had a hard time getting to their required positions due to the congestion. 

Having very little information from Union Pacific about the nature of the blockage and the expected duration, the city set up an Incident Command System.

Police say the train finally was moved at 9:00 p.m. more than six hours after it first stopped, and after numerous urgent calls to Union Pacific.  

No injuries were reported. 

The City of Beaumont and the Beaumont Police Department say they will be carefully reviewing this incident to determine how this situation occurred and how incidents like this can be prevented in the future.