SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — A Sand Springs neighborhood is grappling with ongoing issues caused by trains blocking the only road in and out of the area.
Local resident Andrea Freeman shared her frustrations with 2 News Oklahoma, detailing how the problem has disrupted daily life and posed serious safety concerns.
Freeman explained that the neighborhood has been dealing with blocked train tracks for years, leaving residents stranded for hours at a time. “We’ve been having an issue with the trains coming through and stopping on the tracks.
Our neighborhood has one way in and one way out,” Freeman said. She described an incident in which a friend had gone to the gas station and was unable to return for six hours because a train had stopped and blocked the tracks.
Frustrations Over Lack of Accountability
Freeman and her husband, Adam, are frustrated by what they see as a lack of accountability from the responsible parties. “There’s no accountability to stop them when they do this.
They just block the only roads in and out of the neighborhood, and nothing happens,” Adam Freeman said. “Nothing’s gonna happen to them, no one’s gonna hold them accountable, nobody’s gonna make them feel any monetary issues on this, they’re just like … you gotta suck it up and live with it.”
Freeman also voiced concerns about the potential dangers the situation poses to her family. “We have a newborn, he’s about 11 weeks now, our biggest scare, through the whole pregnancy was what if I go into labor, and the train is stopped on the track,” she added.
BNSF Response and Local Government Involvement
BNSF Railway, the company operating the trains, responded to the issue by acknowledging the challenges of train stoppages but reiterated that building new infrastructure, such as roads or overpasses, is a local matter.
Kendall Sloan, a spokesperson for BNSF, stated, “Our business and our customers depend on BNSF to keep our trains moving. When our trains experience a situation that forces them to stop, BNSF works to correct or resolve the situation as quickly as possible to resume the safe movement of trains.
Building new infrastructure such as roadways or overpasses is fundamentally a local discussion, between residents and the road authority. With that said, BNSF stands ready to work with the local community if they bring forward a workable solution.”
The Freeman family’s neighborhood is located in an unincorporated part of Sand Springs, and County Commissioner Lonnie Sims represents the area. 2 News Oklahoma reached out to Sims’ media spokesperson, who assured that Sims would investigate the issue further.
Next Steps and Community Action
As residents continue to voice concerns, there are ongoing discussions about potential solutions. While BNSF claims it works to resolve situations as quickly as possible, many in the community feel that local government action is needed to address the infrastructure challenges posed by the train stoppages.
The Freeman family and other residents hope that their voices will be heard and that the situation will be resolved in a way that ensures the safety and accessibility of their community.
