Eagle Pass City Council Approves Closure of Church and Williams Streets Railroad Crossings
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council unanimously approved the third and final reading of an ordinance providing for the permanent closure of two city streets, Church Street and Williams Street, serving as railroad crossings at their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.
The City Council’s approval comes after years of negotiation with Union Pacific Railroad to establish the City of Eagle Pass as a “Quiet Zone” under federal transportation law requiring the closure of at least two city streets used as railroad crossings while Union Pacific will either sell or donate the former Alamo Lumber real property located at the intersection of Ceylon and Quarry Streets to the City of Eagle Pass.
The City of Eagle Pass has been negotiating with Union Pacific Railroad since former Mayors Ramsey English Cantu and Luis E. Sifuentes held office and now the final approval comes under the helm of newly-elected Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr.
Previously, the City of Eagle Pass has discussed converting the Alamo Lumber property-owned by Union Pacific into a city park of approximately nine (9) acres or some other city project. Although the City of Eagle Pass has not yet formally purchased or received the nine acre tract of property from Union Pacific, it is anticipated that it may happen in the immediate future.
The City Council’s approval of the third and final reading of the two ordinances providing for the permanent closure of the Church Street and Williams Street railroad crossings includes the reversion of the legal interest of said land to Union Pacific and the abandonment and closure of these railroad crossings by the City of Eagle Pass.
Previously, Union Pacific had also requested a third city street be closed by the City of Eagle Pass, specifically the Rio Grande Street railroad crossing in downtown Eagle Pass, but this Rio Grande Street railroad crossing will remain open and operable as a key transient venue for citizens of Eagle Pass. The City of Eagle Pass and Union Pacific conducted vehicular traffic studies of Church, Rio Grande, and Williams Streets to determine the impact of the closure of these railroad crossings.
The Eagle Pass City Council has held all of its discussions regarding the potential acquisition of the Union Pacific nine (9) acre property, formerly Alamo Lumber, in Executive Session or Closed Session during many of its meetings during several years, leaving Eagle Pass taxpayers in the dark on what exactly is Union Pacific asking for in return for its nine (9) acre tract of property. Will Union Pacific donate it to the City of Eagle Pass as a philanthropic gesture or will it sell it to the City for a designated amount of money or a token sum? Eagle Passans may soon find out if the City Council reaches an agreement with Union Pacific concerning this property.
Union Pacific has invested heavily in its railroad operations and ownership of the international railroad bridge crossing at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry during recent years with the goal of converting Eagle Pass as the number one international railroad crossing on the United States-Mexico border as part of its corporate strategy.
Union Pacific has previously discussed tripling the international railroad traffic at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, increasing the total number of railroad cars from approximately 1,000 to 3,000 daily. In addition to Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad also uses the Eagle Pass Port of Entry international bridge under an agreement with Union Pacific to transport cargo between the United States and Mexico.
