UP train blocks traffic to Lee County subdivision after workers timed out

DIXON – All roadways in the Woodland Shores subdivision were blocked off by a Union Pacific train for several hours Tuesday after the workers had timed out, Lee County Sheriff Clay Whelan said.

At 1:53 a.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a train from Union Pacific Railroad was blocking the roadways for the entire subdivision of Woodland Shores west of Dixon, Whelan said in a news release.

“At the time of the call, it was reported that the train had already been stationary and blocking the roads for several hours,” he said. “The crew from Union Pacific had reportedly timed out and were waiting for a relief crew.”

The crossings at Railway Road and Wadsworth Way along with the crossing at Butler Street and Railroad Avenue in Nelson were obstructed by train cars.

The sheriff’s office contacted UP several times in an effort to get the train moved, he said. By 9:51 a.m., the train had been separated, and the railway crossing at Butler Street and Railroad Avenue was open for traffic.

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers joined Sauk Valley Media in 2016 covering local government in Dixon and Lee County.