12th Street reopens in Guymon after railroad track repairs

Drivers can use 12th Street at the railroad tracks in Guymon again after Union Pacific completed repairs at and near the crossing. The reopening restores one of the city’s key connectors, easing the detours that had affected school traffic, emergency response, farm equipment, freight runs and access to downtown businesses.

The closure stemmed from a June 10 incident at Railroad & 12th Street involving a large grain cart. Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley said no injuries were reported, but the impact knocked out the main crossing arm assembly on the north side, and the crossing structure collapsed onto 12th Street. The damage also included a street light pole and power lines above the roadway.

A June 15 city update said the 12th Street closure was open again after the repair work was finished. The City of Guymon’s live feed later repeated that the closure was now open and that all repairs at and near the railroad tracks had been completed by Union Pacific. For drivers moving across town, that means one of the main rail crossings is back in service and the pressure on nearby routes should ease.

The reopening carries extra weight in a city where railroad crossings can quickly become choke points. In October 2024, Texas County Emergency Management and the City of Guymon said all railroad crossings in the city were closed except Hurliman, and traffic congestion built there as drivers funneled onto the remaining open route. When that happens, ordinary trips across town can stretch longer for commuters, service workers, farm operators and delivery drivers.

Rail access is part of Guymon’s public identity as well as its transportation network. The city has promoted Tracks Through Time, a caboose exhibit at Centennial Park, as part of its railroad heritage programming, a reminder that the same tracks that shape the town’s history also shape daily movement on its streets. With 12th Street open again, one of those pressure points has been removed.