“Monster Trains” More Than 3 Miles Long Have Become Traffic Jam Nightmares in Texas

Texas freight trains are become a problem when they cross busy roadways. With some trains now 3 miles or longer in length, places like Pleasantville, Texas often see traffic waiting for up to 7 minutes for them to pass.

The town is near rail yards run by Union Pacific, Wall Street Journal highlighted in a new article. It says the ‘monster trains’ are a way to make higher profits because they can haul more goods with less locomotives and less crew.

There are no federal limits on train length, though regulators are reviewing the issue, the report says. Over a dozen states, including Texas, have proposed limiting trains to 1.6 miles, but they can’t enforce these laws due to interstate commerce rules.

Union Pacific, the top source of blocked crossing complaints, runs trains up to 3.8 miles long. Last quarter, its average train length was 1.8 miles, up from 1.3 miles in 2018. […]

— Read More: www.zerohedge.com