Find a train accident lawyer in Houston: which railroad, which crossing and which deadline

Train claims in Houston follow two paths. For a freight train, the railroad is the target, and BNSF, KCS, PTRA and Union Pacific all operate in the city. For METRORail, METRO's claim form is due within 180 days. Otherwise you generally have 2 years to sue.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (34)

Train accident in Houston? See if you are owed money.

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

Free to send, no obligation. A law firm that handles this type of case in your state reviews it. How this works
Map of Houston showing rail lines that cross city streets such as Scott Street, Hillcroft Avenue and Sheldon Road
Texas had 262 rail crossing collisions in 2025, most in the U.S. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Which railroads run through Houston, and who do you call?

A city slide lists four railroads in Houston: BNSF, KCS, PTRA and UPRR. Most own their tracks, some have yards, and all coordinate with Union Pacific dispatch.

RailroadEmergency number on the city's Train Watch page
Union Pacific1-888-877-7267
BNSF1-800-832-5452
PTRA (Port Terminal Railroad)713-393-6509
KCSNo number on that page

At the crossing itself, look for the sign. Signs at crossings tell the public how to report unsafe conditions. Photograph it, because it names the railroad and the crossing.

Which Houston railroad crossings are the most dangerous?

A federal crash prediction database ranks Scott Street, Hillcroft Avenue, Sheldon Road, Market Street and Sherwin Street as Houston's top five crossings for a likely crash. That is a risk ranking, not a count of past crashes.

The city also counts 69 critical crossings inside Houston, 107 across the region, because they delay first responders and traffic. The Houston Fire Department averages 100 delays by trains a month.

Across the state, Texas had 262 highway-rail crossing collisions in 2025, with 28 deaths and 83 injuries, in preliminary federal numbers. Nationwide, crossings see more than 2,000 incidents and 200 deaths a year.

How do you report a blocked railroad crossing in Houston?

  1. Write down the street, the time it started, how long it lasted and the train or railroad name.
  2. Call 311 so the City of Houston logs it.
  3. File the same details with the Federal Railroad Administration, the main agency that tracks blocked crossings.
  4. Report once per incident. If an ambulance or fire truck was delayed, say so.

Do not count on a state penalty. The city's own slide says the state's blocked-crossing statute was pre-empted by the Fifth Circuit under a 1995 federal law.

What train records can disappear after a crash in Houston?

The locomotive's event recorder matters most. The railroad must save its data after a reportable accident, but the duty ends 1 year later unless the FRA or NTSB asks. A written preservation letter sent early is cheap insurance.

  • Photos of the crossing lights, gates and signs on the same day.
  • The 311 case number, if you ever reported that crossing.
  • Police and fire reports. Texas public information requests are answered during business hours.

Can you sue a railroad after a Houston crossing crash?

Sometimes, but federal law narrows it. Claims about federally funded warning devices can be pre-empted. So can claims that a train was going too fast. Federal law does not bar every state damage suit, though.

If you were on the tracks away from a crossing, the law changes. Tracks are private property, and being there is illegal outside a designated crossing. A railroad's duty to a trespasser is to avoid wilful, wanton or grossly negligent injury. Trespass is the leading cause of rail-related deaths, so families dealing with this loss deserve a careful review, not a quick no.

A private railroad claim generally has a 2-year deadline.

What if a METRORail train hit you?

METRORail is Houston's light rail network. METRO is a transit authority, which Texas treats as a governmental unit. The form asks for the train number, where you boarded and left, and the police report number. Send it within 180 days to METRO Claims, P.O. Box 61429, Houston, TX 77208-1429.

Damages against a local government are capped at $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. METRO Police take calls and texts at 713-224-2677. Railroad employees hurt at work are different: FELA makes railroads liable for negligence that caused an injury in whole or in part.

Questions

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

Generally 2 years against a private railroad. A government claim needs notice within 6 months.

Why does the city care about stopped trains?

Stopped trains delay ambulances and fire trucks. The fire department averages 100 such delays a month.

Is it illegal to walk on railroad tracks?

Outside a designated crossing, yes. Tracks are private property.

Does a passenger train claim have a limit?

A federal cap applies to passenger claims from one accident, printed at $200,000,000 for all passengers combined.

Train accident in Houston? See if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Sources (34)

  1. City of Houston, Federal Railroad Administration overview, Jan. 27, 2022, checked 2026-11-09. “Railroad Operating in the City of Houston • BNSF • KCS • PTRA • UPRR”
  2. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “within 180 days of the incident by anyone desiring to make a claim against METRO”
  3. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  4. Operation Lifesaver, Collisions & Fatalities by State, using FRA data, checked 2026-11-09. “| 1. | Texas | 262 | 28 | 83 |”
  5. 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “preserve the data recorded by each such device for analysis by FRA”
  6. 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “This preservation requirement shall expire one (1) year after the date of the accident”
  7. City of Houston, Train Watch, checked 2026-11-09. “Call 311 to report blocked crossing to the City of Houston”
  8. City of Houston, Train Watch, checked 2026-11-09. “The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is the primary agency responsible for tracking and investigating blocked crossing incidents.”
  9. 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.”
  10. City of Houston, Train Watch, checked 2026-11-09. “• Union Pacific -- 1.888.877.7267 • BNSF -- 1.800.832.5452 • PTRA –- 713.393.6509”
  11. 49 CFR Part 234, Subpart E, checked 2026-11-09. “display the information necessary for the public to report an unsafe condition”
  12. City of Houston Smart City Program Office, Houston Safe Railroad Corridors, Aug. 15, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “Houston Top 5 –Most Likely for a Crash”
  13. City of Houston Smart City Program Office, Houston Safe Railroad Corridors, Aug. 15, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “107 –Crossings Regionally ✓ 69 – Crossings in Houston”
  14. City of Houston Smart City Program Office, Houston Safe Railroad Corridors, Aug. 15, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “HFD Averages 100 Delays by Train a Month”
  15. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “Nationally, more than 2,000 incidents and 200 fatalities at grade crossings occur each year.”
  16. City of Houston, Federal Railroad Administration overview, Jan. 27, 2022, checked 2026-11-09. “Block Crossing Statute: Pre-empted by 5th Court of Appeals referencing The Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act of 1995”
  17. Texas Government Code 552.021, checked 2026-11-09. “Public information is available to the public at a minimum during the normal business hours of the governmental body.”
  18. Norfolk Southern v. Shanklin (U.S. 2000), checked 2026-11-09. “pre-empts state tort claims concerning a railroad's failure to maintain adequate warning devices at crossings where federal funds have participated in the devices' installation”
  19. CSX v. Easterwood (U.S. 1993), checked 2026-11-09. “only insofar as it asserts that CSX's train was traveling at an excessive speed”
  20. 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”
  21. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing.”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 75.007, checked 2026-11-09. “owes a duty to refrain from injuring a trespasser wilfully, wantonly, or through gross negligence”
  23. Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “Trespassing is the leading cause of rail-related deaths in the United States.”
  24. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  25. METRO, METRORail, checked 2026-11-09. “METRORail is Houston’s light rail network”
  26. Tex. Transp. Code ch. 452, checked 2026-11-09. “An authority is a governmental unit under Chapter 101”
  27. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-09. “include the bus/train number, boarding and exit location, and police report number, if known”
  28. METRO, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “Email: [email protected]”
  29. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.023, checked 2026-11-09. “$100,000 for each person and $300,000 for each single occurrence for bodily injury or death”
  30. METRO, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “Call or text METRO Police at 713-224-COPS (2677)”
  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. 45 U.S.C. 51, checked 2026-11-09. “resulting in whole or in part from the negligence of any of the officers, agents, or employees of such carrier”
  33. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 101.101, checked 2026-11-09. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  34. 49 U.S.C. 28103, checked 2026-11-09. “shall not exceed $200,000,000”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money