Well now we know what the traffic counters were for on Straub back in the summer. According to article UPRR wants to block in a number of residents and close the only really safe crossing between Rock Prairie and Wade. UPRR

Closing Straub would punish the many residents of Saddle Creek.

Hopefully a better solution can be found and they can build their siding for the storage of cars MUCH further south (like Navasota).

(Seems like the railroad could have their siding if they built underpasses for Straub and Wade roads)

But the Texas Railroad commission unfortunately can pretty much do whatever they want, as the article mentions.

Live near railroad, get punished by railroad.

This has been in the works for a long time. Prior to moving here, we had to decide between living near the highway vs. railroad. We decided to go central, and haven't regretted it. One of the deciding factors was researching the anticipated freight traffic along the UP line. Even back then, they were forecasting an increase of a higher volume of trains, a trend which has continued to this day. Given that we couldn't help but notice there were few overpasses, we said 'heck no' and haven't regretted living mid-town (well, it's mid-town today--it wasn't back then).

I don't know how receptive UP will be to those affected residents. This line is getting ready for some serious intermodal freight and a lot of money. Once the work is completed, I think they are anticipating around 50 trains/day (maybe 2,500 flat cars) in the near future with as many as 200 trains by 2025. That is due to the Triangle Railroad Holding Co. and their ability to push freight through the Texas Triangle (Houston/Galveston-Dallas/Ft. Worth-Austin/San Antonio) without it bottlenecking in those cities. Standing in the way of that money will be difficult.

On the other hand, it is good for the economy and reduces some emissions.

So they'll have the money, and the traffic will justify building the over/under passes...

Ideally yes, but I wouldn't be holding my breath....

Why would closing Straub a problem? The Wade crossing is closer to Saddle Creek, besides, closing Straub would create a straightshot up I&GN, which connects up to Holleman and other roads.

There are other people who live out there besides those in Saddle Creek, FYI. Both Wade and Straub get extremely backed up in the mornings. Someone mentioned I&GN....do you know how many people who live on I&GN come down to Straub to cross the tracks? LOTS - I see them every morning/afternoon. Yes, there are other routes out of the area; however, closing Straub would be a huge detriment causing tons of traffic, delays, etc. at other intersections that are already facing the same problems. Ultimately, those of us who live out there will have zero say and UP will do what they want, which means we are screwed.

In a letter Commissioner Wassermann proposes an alternative as being Wade to Duckhaven(Drake). Wade would require significant improvement to make it available to traffic. Koppe Bridge-S. Dowling likewise will require additional improvement for this crossing to handle a large traffic load.

IGN- well it has been closed for over a year waiting county to make "improvements', necessitating a detour. Ptc 1 in action?

Bright side... makes the area less attractive to development(s) going forward.

Right, IGN hasn't reopened yet.

Is this whole thing about the RR needing to put in a 2-mile siding? I see no reason why can't they put their siding further south away from populated areas and not create further congestion.

quote:

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Right, IGN hasn't reopened yet.

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It was open on Monday

Haven't been down that way as of late. Glad they finally fixed it.

They closed Robert Road and Old Highway 6 a decade ago, why not build between Lometa and Choctaw?

It does seem odd to absolutely need a siding in that area, makes me wonder if they aren't working to accommodate an industrial customer planning a location in that area.

why not put the siding in Navasota, just north of navasota, or south of Navasota ?

Carpe, perhaps that is so. There is development going on at TAMU that might make a siding closer to town (than Navasota) feasible. The vaccine facility and other university/institute/business ventures in the Health Science corridor might have certain needs of which we are unaware. I don't have a railroad background, but aren't sidings mainly used for slow-moving trains or 'going in the opposite direction' trains to lay-by so faster trains can continue down the track?

Andrew Card (Office of the Provost) at A&M is one of the Directors on the Board at UP, so perhaps he (or UP) will enlighten the residents in the area about the future needs of the railroad and how that affects the community. Safety is obviously a concern of both the RR and the community and that is usually something on which RR and municipalities work together.

On a side note, at some point, will Hwy 50 or 47 be extended or linked to Hwy 6 to provide a complete west side bypass?

If so, it might be a "complete west side bypass" for a year or two until College Station decides to start mucking it up with stoplights.

Then the only things that will be bypassed are efficiency, productivity, and a reasonable thoroughfare from the highway to the West Side.

2818, and Hwy 40 are lost causes. Traffic jams and red lights everywhere, a College Station City Planner's dream come true !

I'm not saying I disagree with you as it is difficult to call them highways; but to revert and raise the speed limits on parts of 2818/40//2154 would be a disaster safety-wise since few of those thoroughfares have true highway entrance and exits except in select locations.

Again, off-topic, but if a private tollway company (i.e. Texas Turnpike Corporation) decided to come to town (hey, no traffic lights!), they can use eminent domain to build their road...now THAT would certainly stir up a lot of action.

They can't just come to town and build a toll road, an agency with that authority such as the MPO (controlled by your mayors and county judge) would have to grant them that authority.

You are right; however, there are many things that have advanced planning behind the scenes....

oh no, you can't revert now. definitely not on 2818.

you can just plan better and say that if 159 is going to be connected to 47 for a big west loop bypass, then do it correctly and give it frontage roads and off/on ramps so that traffic won't stop and it can be a high speed thoroughfare for the next 50 years.

Unfortunately it's too late to put a proper overpass at Holleman, which is a major slow-down point for both sides. And traffic on Holleman Drive East went up since construction of the overpass and has never really gone down again.

The best thing to hope for is creating a highway that will link Highway 40 to Highway 47, possibly going on existing North Dowling (eliminate the curve and hook it up to Hopes Creek) and North Graham right of way.

This of course would go hand in hand with a partial rebuilding of the FM 60/FM 2818 interchange too.

If it's already built, its already been ruined by CS city planning. Needs a new road, which is why I suggested connected 159 with 47.

IGN as of today is 'open' with gravel topping- no black top.

Back on topic. According to letter from county the Straub issue is related to the Panama Canal expansion!!! Yep the new yards in Roberstosn County-Mumford will push freight down our poor little track to the Port of Houston and into the Asian-Far East Market. I was in the 'ditch' last year and it will be some time before the expansion is a reality.

On the bright side, if they close Straub I will not have to listen to the darned horns...