Taylor residents worry railroad near E. MLK Jr. Street is long overdue for fix

Taylor railroad long overdue for fix

A railroad in Taylor has been a concern for drivers for years now, and they're hoping something will finally be done about it.

TAYLOR, Texas - A railroad in Taylor has been a concern for drivers for years now, and they're hoping something will finally be done about it.

It’s this railroad near the intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Minden Street that FOX 7 viewers reached out to us about.

Residents' concerns

What they're saying:

 "Well, you can’t go across it with an open cup of coffee, I’ll tell you that," said Dustin Owen,  the general manager of Williamson County Grain.

"I cross it every day coming to and from work, and you know, you go to cross a little slower or you're going to have front-end issues with your vehicle," added Owen.

Dustin Owen's grain store is right next to the tracks. It's a popular spot for local farmers looking for feed for chickens and cows.

"I’ve seen a few people come across and parts will fall off their car, bumpers or tire rods will break," said Owen.

The track is separating from the concrete, holding it in place, making for a bump in the road.

But every time he and others try to get it fixed, it feels like they hit a dead end.

"I’ve been here 13 years and they’ve been like that all that time, so at least that long, if not longer," said Owen.

Union Pacific response

The other side:

FOX 7 Austin reached out to Union Pacific, which owns the railroad, about the complaints.

A spokesperson sent the following statement:

"Union Pacific regularly inspects its tracks and makes repairs to meet federal safety standards. This particular crossing has a track that leads to a closed business. Rather than a short-term patch, we are fully refurbishing the crossing, which should be done within the next two weeks (given the holiday). We appreciate the community’s patience."

"That’s brand new news to me, that’s exciting," said Owen. "I think myself, and all my customers, will be very pleased to see that happen."

Owen said he had not heard about plans to fix it until we reached out to Union Pacific. He’s hopeful it will make this area a lot safer for his customers and their vehicles.

 "You have a lot of people that don’t know how to drive across it, they either go across too fast or they slow way down or they try to go crossways or into the opposite lane to try to make it as smooth as possible on their vehicle," said Owen.

TxDOT response

"TxDOT is coordinating with Union Pacific to make repairs at this rail crossing. Currently, we anticipate making repairs by late 2025, weather permitting."