Mannford Residents Frustrated By Ongoing Train Delays

Several Mannford residents expressed frustration after waiting more than an hour for a train that was stuck on the tracks Tuesday, a problem they say has persisted for decades.

Donneda Estes, a local resident, said the delay caused her to be late getting her grandchildren to school and cost her money at work.

"I kind of gave it a little bit, thinking maybe 20 or 30 minutes, but then the 20 or 30 minutes turned into an hour and a half," Estes said. "Basically, the train being stuck on the track cost me money today."

This is the second time this week a train has held up traffic for at least 45 minutes, Estes said.

Jeff Bradshaw, another Mannford resident, said his family paid an even higher price when his brother died 30 years ago after an ambulance was blocked by a train for more than 45 minutes.

"My dad did everything he could to save his life, but I believe if the train wasn't there, maybe he would have been alive," Bradshaw said.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad sent us a statement that says:

"BNSF trains operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We do our best to limit the amount of time any crossing is blocked. Our business and our customers depend on BNSF to keep our trains moving.

There is a siding track at this location that must be used when trains meet or pass other trains. One train will pull into the siding while the other passes it on the main line. The Basin Road crosses this siding track creating a conflict with two modes of transportation. We try to position trains west of Basin Road, however that isn’t always possible.

Building new infrastructure such as roadways or overpasses is fundamentally a local decision, between residents and the road authority. BNSF has had initial conversations with the City of Mannford about potential infrastructure projects to alleviate the Basin Road crossing. BNSF stands ready to work with the local community if they bring forward a workable solution."

The Mannford City Manager, Gerald Haury, sent us a statement that says: 

"The small City of Mannford does not have the resources to hire an engineer to design an overpass let alone pay for the required matching funds for a $20 to $50 million project.

The recent train delays are a result of longer trains using the "siding track" so that other trains can pass by. Unfortunately, there is nothing the city can do to have the trains shortened so that they don't have to block the crossing. We are planning to meet with State Officials to see if the State & Federal governments can provide enough grant money to create solutions to the problems. We have reached out to the railroad, and they say that they are willing to put up some of the money if we can secure federal funding. We are hopeful that the State will help us with the rest of the needed funding.

Train companies are granted so much immunity from the cities and states that it is nearly impossible to get anything done. If you check into the City of Edmond's issues in dealing with similar issues as Mannford, you will see that even with their vast resources they have been unable to resolve any issues with the trains.

We are always open to new ideas for solutions to age old problems and would love to hear of one that is feasible for Mannford."