Houston launches Train Watch to provide real-time updates on blocked train crossings

The city of Houston has unveiled a new online dashboard called Train Watch to provide residents with real-time information on rail crossings and whether a train is blocking them.

What you need to know

Train Watch is a pilot program designed to provide residents and first responders with real-time updates on railroad activity to mitigate traffic impacts, Jesse Bounds, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Performance, told Community Impact. In July, Bounds said the city received 530 reports of blocked crossings.

The program relies on 70 sensors throughout the city of Houston, Bounds said. Some of these sensors are acoustic, meaning they detect noises of trains or gates, with cameras used to validate the noise. Other sensors are traffic signal preemption devices, where traffic signals will detect an approaching train and turn red to stop oncoming vehicles.

According to the website, Train Watch provides a live interactive map that will indicate whether a crossing is currently occupied or open by displaying red or green dots.

Bounds said the dashboard is part of a $3.4 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2024 and was originally designed for the city's public safety departments so they could get to scenes without trains blocking the way.

“We average about 100 times per month where our firefighters are unable to get to the scene because they are delayed because of blocked trains,” Bounds said. “It was really important for police and fire to have visibility on those frequently blocked crossings.”

After launching the tool for public safety departments, Bounds said the city decided to launch it to the public to help better inform and keep the public safe.

He said this tool is something the city can use immediately as it continues to work on long-term projects.

One such project is the Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge Project, named after a Milby High School student who was struck and killed by a Union Pacific train while getting to school in December 2024. The project will construct a bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad line located near the high school, for which the city received $10 million from the state during the most recent legislative session, Alexa Aragonez, the deputy director of intergovernmental relations, said during a June 26 City Council meeting.

Going forward

Through the dashboard, Bounds said the city hopes to reduce “erratic” driving behavior caused by blocked crossings and reduce travel time so that drivers aren’t trapped by trains.

Council member Joaquin Martinez, who represents the East End area, said during the Aug. 20 City Council meeting that the ultimate goal with Train Watch is to have the data from the tool synced to other resources such as Google Maps and Houston TranStar, which are already used by Houston residents to help show where trains are blocking crossings.