HASSO HERING

The two-track railroad crossing on Santiam Road was closed Monday. Someone had driven into the signal box containing the controls of that and two other crossing signals.

On Monday the City of Albany notified the public that three railroad crossings were closed because the Union Pacific needed to make emergency repairs. On a bike ride Monday night, I learned what prompted the repairs.

In short, someone had driven into the shed that housed signal controls at the rail crossing on Santiam Road. Albany police summarized the story this way:

“On August 8, 2026, at approximately 10:31 p.m., officers responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 1200 block of Santiam Rd SE, involving one occupant, who was the driver. The driver sustained minor injuries. The vehicle damaged railroad property but was not blocking the tracks. The railroad company was notified as a precaution, resulting in temporary train delays. The driver was cited for DUII and Reckless Endangering.”

The driver was a young man, 26 years old, driving a sedan.

On Monday evening, the grade crossings on Main and Madison streets were open again. Flaggers  stationed there told me they were supposed to stop traffic when trains were coming through because the gates and warning lights did not work.

The Santiam Road crossing of two tracks — Union Pacific and Portland & Western — was still closed, blocked with concrete jersey barriers and barricades. Clearly the work to install a new signal shed was not  finished.

While I was there, a train was coming from the north on the Portland & Western track, but then it stopped.

Here is the scene as I saw it:

The wrecked shed was still there, as you saw. And so was its apparent replacement.

I don’t know how long the repairs will take. I expect Santiam Road will be closed until the work is complete. (hh)

The story has been edited to add details of the crash.

The wrecked signal shed. The UP track is on the right, the Portland & Western on the left.

Lots of wiring is involved.