Find a train accident lawyer in Mesa: Union Pacific crossings and light rail

Mesa has two rail systems. A Union Pacific freight line runs through west Mesa with 4 trains a day, and Valley Metro light rail reaches the Gilbert Rd/Main St station. A claim against Valley Metro is due within 180 days. A claim against the railroad generally has a 2-year limit.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (44)

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Road map of west Mesa showing Alma School Road and Broadway Road where they cross the Union Pacific line
Valley Metro injury claims are due within 180 days. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Which train lines run through Mesa?

Freight first. Mesa's Transportation Master Plan calls the Union Pacific line through west Mesa a small but active segment carrying 4 trains each day. It has 10 street crossings at grade, two grade-separated crossings and one crossing for walkers only. The city found traffic above 20,000 vehicles a day at 7 of its 12 at-grade crossings.

CrossingTypeTrains a dayVehicles (2021 count)
Alma School RoadAt-grade429,075
Broadway RoadAt-grade424,203
Dobson RoadAt-grade420,812

That count may change. The Surface Transportation Board issued a final environmental review in February 2026 for about six miles of new Union Pacific line in Mesa. The city's plan describes a line from far east Mesa to the Phoenix Subdivision at Rittenhouse and Sossaman.

Passenger service is Valley Metro. The light rail runs through downtown Mesa, and the line was extended 1.9 miles east in 2019 to the Gilbert Rd/Main St station. We found no Amtrak passenger stop in Mesa in the city's plan. If you were hurt on a passenger train elsewhere, a different federal rule set applies.

Who investigates a train crash at a Mesa crossing?

More than one agency can show up. Mesa Police handles the street side. The Arizona Corporation Commission's Office of Railroad Safety investigates train and car collisions, walkers hurt or killed at crossings, and trespasser injuries. Light rail riders report through the Alert VM app, security or emergency call buttons.

At any crossing, find the blue and white sign and its crossing number. Call the railroad's number on the sign to report a problem. Federal rules require those signs so that the public can report unsafe conditions. Photograph it. It ties your claim to one exact spot.

The Commission also takes citizen complaints about blocked crossings and rough roadway surfaces at rail crossings. A complaint log can show the railroad knew about a problem before you were hurt.

How do you file a claim against Valley Metro in Mesa?

  1. Report it the same day to the operator or security.
  2. Write your notice of claim. Valley Metro requires one form per person, so a family of three files three.
  3. Include a specific amount and the facts behind it. Attach medical bills and repair estimates.
  4. Answer every question. Valley Metro says a form missing requested information will be rejected.
  5. Send it within 180 days to Risk Management, 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300, Phoenix, or [email protected].
  6. If you hear nothing within 60 days, treat the claim as denied. Then you have one year from the injury to sue.

A late claim is barred. Valley Metro Rail, Inc. runs light rail, so make sure you name the right agency. Arizona common carriers owe reasonable care under all the circumstances.

Who pays after a train accident in Mesa?

Who you areWho may payTime limit
Driver hit at a crossingRailroad, another driver or a city that kept the crossing in bad shape2 years, 180 days if public
Light rail rider or walkerValley Metro and its insurer180 days, then 1 year to sue
Railroad workerRailroad, under FELA3 years
Someone walking on the tracksHard to recover. The railroad owes only a duty not to cause intentional or wanton harm2 years

Nationally, more than 2,000 crossing incidents and 200 deaths happen each year. Trespassing is the top cause of rail deaths. Walking the tracks anywhere other than a marked crossing is illegal, which is why these cases are so tough for families. If you lost someone, there are still people who can help you find out what happened.

Federal rules can affect a crossing claim, but Congress kept some state law suits alive, including those saying a railroad broke a federal safety standard. Arizona also reduces your award by your own share of the fault.

What proof should you ask for after a Mesa train crash?

  • Locomotive event recorder data. The railroad must preserve it, but only for 1 year unless regulators say otherwise.
  • Signal and crossing inspection records. Ask early, in writing.
  • Light rail video and operator records. Public records law can reach Valley Metro.
  • Mesa Police report. Reports cost $5.00 direct from police, or come through BuyCrash online.

A serious injury at a Mesa crossing will often go to Banner Desert, the Level I trauma center at 1400 South Dobson Rd. A family dealing with a death can reach Mesa Police Victim Services at 480-644-4075.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a train accident in Mesa?

Generally 2 years. A claim against Valley Metro or another public agency is due within 180 days. A railroad worker's FELA claim has 3 years.

Who runs the light rail in Mesa?

Valley Metro Rail, Inc. operates light rail. Mesa provides transit through an agreement with Valley Metro.

Where are the train crossings in Mesa?

The busiest listed in the city plan include Alma School Road, Broadway Road and Dobson Road in west Mesa.

What if a train blocked the crossing and caused my crash?

Tell the police and report it to the state. The Arizona Corporation Commission takes blocked crossing complaints.

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Sources (44)

  1. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “A small segment of the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) line traverses through west Mesa. This segment of UPRR is an active line with 4 trains each day.”
  2. Valley Metro, checked 2026-11-09. “In 2019, the line extended 1.9 miles east to the new Gilbert Rd/Main St light rail station”
  3. A.R.S. § 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues”
  4. A.R.S. § 12-542, checked 2026-11-08. “within two years after the cause of action accrues”
  5. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “each person filing a claim against Valley Metro must fill out a separate notice of claim form”
  6. ADOT, checked 2026-11-09. “Call the railroad's contact number listed on the blue sign posted at the crossing.”
  7. 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “This preservation requirement shall expire one (1) year after the date of the accident”
  8. 45 U.S.C. 56, checked 2026-11-09. “No action shall be maintained under this chapter unless commenced within three years from the day the cause of action accrued.”
  9. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “The rail corridor includes 10 at-grade street crossings, two grade separated crossings, and one at-grade pedestrian only crossing.”
  10. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “traffic volumes at 7 of 12 at-grade crossings are significantly high (over 20,000 vehicles per day).”
  11. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “Alma School Road | At-grade | 4 | 29,075”
  12. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “Broadway Road | At-grade | 4 | 24,203”
  13. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “Dobson Road At-grade 4 20,812”
  14. Surface Transportation Board, checked 2026-11-09. “the proposed construction of approximately six miles of new rail line in Mesa, Arizona by Union Pacific Railroad Company”
  15. Mesa Transportation Master Plan, checked 2026-11-09. “is a 6-mile east-west freight line between CMC Steel in far east Mesa and the Union Pacific Phoenix Subdivision line at Rittenhouse and Sossaman Roads.”
  16. Arizona DPS, Request Records, checked 2026-11-08. “If the report you are requesting was the result of a collision that occurred on a town, city or county road, contact the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction.”
  17. Arizona Corporation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “This Section is responsible for investigating the following accidents/incidents and complaints:”
  18. Valley Metro, Rail System Fact Sheet, checked 2026-11-08. “The Valley Metro Rail system connects the region to the cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa.”
  19. 49 CFR Part 234, Subpart E, checked 2026-11-09. “display the information necessary for the public to report an unsafe condition”
  20. Arizona Corporation Commission, checked 2026-11-09. “Roadway surfaces at rail crossings”
  21. Valley Metro, Safety, checked 2026-11-08. “On buses, report issues to the operator or a Valley Metro employee, or contact Customer Service at (602) 253-5000”
  22. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “The claim shall also contain a specific amount for which the claim can be settled and the facts supporting that amount.”
  23. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “you can facilitate the processing of your claim by including copies of medical bills and repair estimates of property damage”
  24. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “Failure to do so will result in the rejection of your claim.”
  25. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Valley Metro Attention: Risk Management 101 N. 1st Avenue, Suite 1300 Phoenix, AZ 85003”
  26. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “If you do not receive a response to your claim within sixty (60) days of your submission, you can assume that the claim has been denied.”
  27. A.R.S. § 12-821, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues and not afterward”
  28. Arizona Revised Statutes 12-821.01, checked 2026-11-09. “is barred and no action may be maintained thereon”
  29. Valley Metro, Notice of Claim, checked 2026-11-09. “Valley Metro is a brand name only. Valley Metro Rail, Inc. operates light rail service. The Regional Public Transportation Authority administers bus and rubber wheel services.”
  30. Nunez v. Professional Transit Management of Tucson (Ariz. 2012), checked 2026-11-09. “We hold that the general negligence standard- reasonable care under all the circumstances - applies.”
  31. 45 U.S.C. 51, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be liable in damages to any person suffering injury while he is employed by such carrier”
  32. A.R.S. 12-557, checked 2026-11-09. “does not owe a duty of care to a trespasser except to refrain from causing intentional, wilful or wanton injury”
  33. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “Nationally, more than 2,000 incidents and 200 fatalities at grade crossings occur each year.”
  34. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “Trespassing is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States.”
  35. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing.”
  36. 49 U.S.C. 20106, checked 2026-11-09. “Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt an action under State law seeking damages for personal injury, death, or property damage alleging that a party”
  37. A.R.S. § 12-2505, checked 2026-11-08. “the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault”
  38. 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “preserve the data recorded by each such device for analysis by FRA”
  39. Arizona Revised Statutes 39-121, checked 2026-11-09. “Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.”
  40. Mesa Police, Criminal Justice Information Division, checked 2026-11-08. “Non-criminal accident reports are available online from February 24, 2009 to present.”
  41. Mesa Police, Criminal Justice Information Division, checked 2026-11-08. “Crashes can be obtained directly through Mesa Police for $5.00”
  42. Arizona DHS, State Designated Trauma Centers, checked 2026-11-08. “Banner Desert Medical Center 1400 South Dobson Rd., Meza, AZ 85202 06/10/24 06/10/27”
  43. Mesa Police, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-08. “Please call Mesa Police Department Victim Services at 480-644-4075 (4806444075) or 480-644-2002 (4806442002)”
  44. City of Mesa, Public Transit, checked 2026-11-09. “Transit Services provides public transportation in Mesa through an agreement with Valley Metro.”

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