MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — When heading down Missile Base Rd. in the morning to head to work or school, the thought on the minds of neighbors I spoke to is, ‘Will the train be stopped?’
They have this worry, because they say trains stop and block the road in and out of their community for sometimes over an hour.
Jennifer Campbell has lived in this community, located in the Marana area in Southern Pinal County, for almost her entire life.
“I’ve lived out here since I was two,” she said. “I’ve been in this community, driven these roads, trains have always been an issue being stopped across the tracks.”
However, she says the issue has grown in recent years.
She said, “It just continues to get worse, and no one seems to care.”
The Missile Base community isn't like some neighborhoods with many ways in and out– Missile Base Road is by far the main route used by the people who live there.
While residents say the train stoppages are an inconvenience, safety is their real concern.
"We don't want something tragic to happen for change to come,” Jennifer Campbell said.
Her husband, Kyle Campbell, not only lives in the community but is also a local first responder.
"It's a concern for emergencies for this community for any kind of health issues for the residents or if there's an actual fire,” he said.
The fire station serving their area is Avra Valley Fire District. In a statement to KGUN 9, a spokesperson for Avra Valley Fire stated:
“We have fire stations located on both sides of the railroad tracks that have provided services to that area without any delays.”
However, Kyle Campbell and about ten other neighbors who spoke to KGUN 9 worry it's just a matter of time before there's a problem.
"I've had multiple incidents where I've seen ambulances and fire trucks trying to come in and out of the community, lights and sirens, and they are blocked by a train,” Kyle Campbell said.
The neighbors I spoke to stressed their concern isn't waiting five to ten minutes for the train to pass.
"That's normal and going to be normal, we don't mind that,” Denise Moore said. “What we're talking about is the extended time – the hour, over an hour, that's getting more and more often."
When Missile Base Rd. is blocked, some residents opt to take one of the other ways out, using Park Link Dr.
“The only other way out of here is about a 45-minute detour, so in an emergency, somebody’s going to be stuck on the wrong side of the tracks,” said Abram Arellano.
According to Apple Maps, the detour is about 25 miles around the community.
"The issue with that is there's a number of times where they're blocking this (Missile Base Rd.) entrance and exit and also that (Park Link Dr.) entrance and exit,” Kyle Campbell explained.
He says there is one other way out, but it's through private property.
"It's going to be rough, bumpy, just bad road, and for most people that don't know the area, I don't know if they can even find their way through that direction,” he said.
The question is – what can be done?
State regulation by the Arizona Corporation Commission states, “no railroad shall cause a public grade crossing to be blocked by railroad equipment in excess of 10 continuous minutes.”
There are some expectations. The regulation goes on to state, “Any train continuously moving in the same direction during the entire time it occupies the crossing; and ii. Blockage caused by wrecks, derailments, acts of nature, mechanical failure, or other emergency conditions.”
However, there are no federal laws in place. In a statement to KGUN 9, the Arizona Corporation Commission stated,
“The ACC Railroad Safety Section is aware of the issue at Missile Base Road and has been working with Union Pacific to alleviate it. Federal Courts have ruled that states cannot enforce blocked crossing regulations because it interferes with interstate commerce. There are no federal laws that impose penalties on railroads for blocked crossings, and although some states do have laws on blocked crossings, federal law takes precedence. Any complaints regarding this issue at Missile Base Road should be directed to Union Pacific and/or the Federal Railroad Administration.”
The residents I spoke to say they have reached out to Union Pacific.
"We're trying to go about it the right way, but ultimately like I said, I fear that it's going to take something big for there to be change,” Jennifer Campbell said.
Arellano said he thinks it’s going to take someone eventually dying for there to be a change.
Union Pacific declined an interview but sent a statement to KGUN 9 stating,
"We recently made changes to how cars move across our network to better serve our customers and quickly move their goods, keeping the supply chain fluid. We know this can be frustrating for residents to use the other access point and are working to keep impact to a minimum."
In recent years, two bills were proposed in the Arizona legislature aimed at addressing the lengths of trains. In 2023, HB2531 was introduced to limit the lengths of trains operating in the state to 8,500 feet, which is a little over a mile and a half. The bill died in the chamber. Last year, a similar bill, HB2747with bipartisan sponsorship, was introduced. That bill also died.
In the meantime, neighbors are waiting for a solution.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
