Train accident in San Antonio: crossings, Union Pacific and Amtrak claims
A train crash in San Antonio usually involves a freight railroad or Amtrak, and federal rules shape the claim. Call Union Pacific's emergency line at 1-888-877-7267 for the railroad's records. The train's event recorder data must be kept at least 1 year. You generally have 2 years to sue in Texas.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (28)
What trains run through San Antonio?
Freight trains, mostly. The city's quiet zone crossings sit on lines that Union Pacific uses. Amtrak also stops here. The Texas Eagle runs from San Antonio to Chicago, and the Sunset Limited runs from New Orleans through San Antonio to Los Angeles.
That mix matters. A freight crash is a railroad claim. A crash with an Amtrak train adds passenger rules, including a federal cap printed at $200,000,000 for all passengers in one accident, and ticket terms that may send injury claims to arbitration. Ask which railroad owned the train and which one owned the track.
Who do you call about a blocked or unsafe railroad crossing in San Antonio?
Start with the blue sign at the crossing. It lists the railroad's number to call. For Union Pacific, the emergency line is 1-888-877-7267. Call 911 for a crash or a person hurt.
A blocked crossing is a different problem. Texas can't enforce time limits on how long a train sits on a crossing. You can report one to the Federal Railroad Administration, but federal rules don't cover blocked crossings, so the report is for tracking.
The city's quiet zones add a wrinkle. San Antonio is repairing ten of them, which affects 40 crossings, and trains must sound their horns where the FRA has suspended a zone. Where a zone is active, engineers may still use the horn.
What proof from a train crash in San Antonio can disappear?
| Record | Rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Event recorder data | The railroad must preserve it after a reportable accident | Shows speed and braking |
| Preservation end date | 1 year after the accident unless the FRA or NTSB asks for it | A late request may find nothing |
| Crossing signs | Posted signs tell the public how to report unsafe conditions | Photo the sign and the DOT number |
Nothing here is automatic for a private case. A lawyer should send the railroad a written request to keep everything. In the meantime, photograph the crossing, the gates, the lights and the sign.
Can you sue the railroad over a crossing crash in San Antonio?
Sometimes. Federal law can pre-empt state claims about warning devices the government paid for, and about excessive train speed. Federal law also keeps some state damage suits alive. Which side your case lands on depends on the crossing.
Texas ranked first in the country in preliminary 2025 FRA statistics, with 262 crossing collisions, 28 deaths and 83 injuries. Nationally the FRA counts more than 2,000 crossing incidents and 200 deaths a year.
A person on the tracks outside a crossing is a trespasser, since the tracks are private property. The railroad's duty then is to avoid wilful, wanton or grossly negligent injury. Texas's fault rule bars recovery above 50 percent.
What if you work for a railroad in San Antonio?
Railroads are liable to injured employees under FELA, for negligence that caused the injury in whole or in part. The deadline is 3 years. Texas workers' comp doesn't replace it.
What should you do after a train crash in San Antonio?
- Call 911, then get care. University Hospital is the region's Level I trauma center.
- Write the railroad name, the crossing's blue sign number and the train number if you can see it.
- Photograph gates, lights, brush, the sign and the road before it's cleared.
- Ask a lawyer to send a written preservation request to the railroad this week.
- If a city truck or VIA bus was involved, give written notice within 6 months.
Questions
What if a VIA bus or city vehicle was at the crossing?
A government claim needs written notice within 6 months, and a Texas local government's liability is capped at $100,000 per person.
Does a child get more time?
The 2-year clock doesn't run while the child is under 18. A government notice does not pause.
Can I report a train that blocks my street every day?
Yes, to the FRA. Texas has no time limit on blocking, so it won't lead to a fine.
Train accident in San Antonio? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (28)
- Union Pacific, checked 2026-11-09. “Union Pacific Emergencies: 1-888-877-7267”
- 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “preserve the data recorded by each such device for analysis by FRA”
- 49 CFR 229.135, checked 2026-11-09. “This preservation requirement shall expire one (1) year after the date of the accident”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- TxDOT, Rail FAQs, checked 2026-11-09. “You can also call the railroad directly by calling the number posted on the small, blue sign at the crossing.”
- TxDOT, Rail FAQs, checked 2026-11-09. “States lack authority to enforce time limits on how long a railroad company can block a crossing.”
- Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “There are no federal laws or regulations pertaining to blocked crossings.”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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.”
- City of San Antonio Transportation Department, checked 2026-11-09. “The San Antonio Transportation Department will be making improvements within ten of its Quiet Zones to maintain compliance with federal regulations. Construction affects 40 crossings.”
- Amtrak, FY 2024 Texas fact sheet, checked 2026-11-09. “Texas Eagle — San Antonio - Austin - Ft. Worth - Dallas - Little Rock - St. Louis - Chicago”
- 49 U.S.C. 28103, checked 2026-11-09. “shall not exceed $200,000,000”
- Office of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, checked 2026-11-09. “In 2019, Amtrak quietly implemented a broad arbitration agreement and class action waiver policy that captures personal injury claims, including gross negligence and wrongful death”
- 49 CFR Part 234, Subpart E, checked 2026-11-09. “display the information necessary for the public to report an unsafe condition”
- 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”
- Operation Lifesaver, using FRA statistics, checked 2026-11-09. “1. Texas 262 28 83”
- Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “Nationally, more than 2,000 incidents and 200 fatalities at grade crossings occur each year.”
- Federal Railroad Administration, checked 2026-11-09. “It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing.”
- 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”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
- 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”
- 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”
- University Health, Trauma Care, checked 2026-11-08. “verified by the American College of Surgeons as both a Level I trauma center and a Level I pediatric trauma center”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
- 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”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-08. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
- Martinez v. Val Verde County Hospital District (Tex. 2004), checked 2026-11-09. “The lower courts held that it is not,[2] and we agree.”