AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbot has signed into a law a bill creating funding to improve safety at railroad grade crossings, legislation sparked by the death of a Houston high school student late last year.
Senate Bill 1555 passed the house by a 101-16 vote earlier this month, after passing the Senate by a 31-0 vote in March [see “Texas Senate passes …,” Trains News Wire, March 27, 2025]. The final version provides $250 million in grants for cities and counties to replace at-grade crossings with overpasses or underpasses, or to create pedestrian walkways. The local entity must provide 10% matching funding.
The legislation was introduced following the death of 15-year-old Sergio Rodriguez, hit and killed last December by a train on his way to school at Houston’s Milby High School. That led to Union Pacific agreeing to limit train movements past the school during peak arrival and departure times [see “UP will avoid train movements …,” News Wire, Dec. 17, 2024]. The state has separately provided $10 million in funding for a pedestrian overpass near the school; KHOU-TV reports the city of Houston, Texas Department of Transportation, and UP are currently reviewing options for the design and location of that bridge.
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