A Union Pacific train partially derailed Friday around noon on San Antonio’s near East Side, sending cars shooting off the tracks and shaking nearby buildings.
The five-car derailment occurred near Austin and Duval Streets. No injuries were reported, and the cars that left the track were empty, according to a Union Pacific official at the site who asked not to named. The cars stopped just a few feet short of the lunchtime traffic rush on Austin Street near cocktail bar Maeve.
Approximately 10 crew members were on the scene within the hour to reverse the derailment, which the Union Pacific official told the Current would take four to five hours.
Getting the derailed cars back on the tracks will involve digging around their wheels, which sunk into the dirt and gravel on the embankment.
A Verizon responder was also on hand to ensure that the crew avoided fiber-optic cables buried underground next to the tracks. The Verizon responder said employees in a workshop next to the track felt their building shake as the massive derailment occurred.
“This happens more than people think, said the Verizon employee, who asked not to be named. “But it’s usually not this big.”
As of early afternoon, traffic remained stopped at the intersections that cross the tracks.
Union Pacific confirmed the derailment in a statement to the Current but didn’t provide information on its likely cause.
“At about noon today, five empty Union Pacific rail cars derailed in San Antonio, Texas,” the company said. “No one was hurt, and there were no releases. The incident occurred on the east side of San Antonio near the intersection of Duval St. and N. Mesquite St. Cleanup is underway.”
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This article appears in Jun 12-25, 2025.