Three People Injured in Texas Metro Light Rail and Dump Truck Crash
(Houston, Texas – July 19, 2024)
A Houston METRO light-rail train operator and two passengers were hospitalized on Friday, July 19th after a collision involving a dump truck. The collision was reported at the intersection of Fannin and Naomi Street on METRO Rail’s red line.
According to investigators, the collision occurred at around 1pm after the dump truck was reportedly reversing into the intersection and struck the approaching northbound red-line train.
The double set of tracks where the collision took place are situated on the far-left side of the road and run parallel to Naomi Street. The crossing is equipped with active warning devices, such as lights and gates. However, it is not known if they were functioning properly at the time of the collision, or if the dump truck driver could see any active warning as they reversed.
A METRO spokesperson stated that the rail was scheduled to be worked on over that weekend, as the dump truck was there to place rocks around the train tracks.
The collision caused considerable damage to the train’s front-end as well as the tracks. The two light-rail passengers and train conductor who were injured in the crash were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Officials have yet to release any information about the extent of their injuries or their identities.
The METRO Rail is owned and operated by Houston public transportation agency, The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. The METRO Rail network is the 10th most traveled light-rail system in the US and operates over a 23 -mile system with a total of 40 stations and trains traveling at 18 – 20 mph. The light-rail operates daily and runs every 6 – 18 minutes, with services starting at 4:30 am weekdays, and 5:30 am on weekends. Services stop at 2:20 am Friday, Saturday, and end at midnight the rest of the week. METRO Rail hosts three rail lines, red, green, and purple, that cover Houston and the surrounding region.
The red line is the fastest and largest of the three rail lines with 24 stations and 12 miles of track. The red line offers transportation to some of Houston’s most popular destinations such as the Museum and Central Business Districts, Midtown Park, the Houston Zoo, NRG Stadium, and the University of Houston Downtown.
Police are still investigating the cause of this collision.
