No signals as train passes through Anthony

An ABC-7 viewer sent us video of a train passing through Anthony that appears to be moving even though the signals weren’t working.

Anthony resident Susana Sanchez says the railroad crossing at Whispering Dove and Highway 478 is the only access she and others have to their homes.

She says on Saturday at around 12 p.m., she was in her truck when she noticed the signals at the crossing weren’t working.

“I was shocked,” said Sanchez, who fears the situation is dangerous for her community. The crossing is right across the street from a school.

“They’re not doing enough to maintain it,” Sanchez said. “There were no lights, the arms had not come down. If this had happened during the school day God forbid who knows what would’ve happened.”

Joe Sloan, a spokesperson for the railroad company BNSF, tells ABC-7 the signals were undergoing maintenance Saturday. Sloan says the operators followed proper procedure when allowing the train to still pass through.

“While it was down they put out a stop and protect order and what that requires the crew to do is when they come to a crossing that’s signalized, they stop and either the crew working on signal or the conductor will come out make sure traffic is not moving then the train continues to proceed through,” Sloan said.

Sloan added the crossing had a sign that under state law, requires drivers to yield, regardless of having a signal flash.