Guymon reopens 12th Street after Union Pacific rail repairs

A damaged rail crossing that cut off 12th Street in Guymon is open again, restoring one of the city’s key east-west routes after Union Pacific finished repairs at and near the tracks. The reopening on June 16 ended a closure that had blocked traffic from East Street to Highway 54 and sent drivers onto other streets in a town where railroad crossings can quickly become choke points.

The shutdown began after a grain cart struck the Railroad and 12th Street crossing, collapsing the main crossing arm assembly on the north side of the tracks onto 12th Street. Officials said the crash also damaged a streetlight pole, overhead power lines and underground electrical connections tied to the railroad signals. No injuries were reported, but Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley said the crossing was unprotected and especially dangerous for vehicles and pedestrians until repairs were completed.

The response pulled in the Guymon Police Department, Guymon Fire Department, Tri-County Electric, the City of Guymon Streets Department, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Union Pacific. Crews spent about two hours securing the area, and train traffic resumed around 5:30 p.m. on the day of the incident even though the roadway stayed closed to vehicles. Officials initially said 12th Street could reopen to traffic late Friday, pending repairs, but the road remained shut until the later reopening notice from the city.

The closure had more than a local inconvenience effect. It disrupted truck and commercial traffic, slowed movement for commuters and cut into emergency response access along U.S. Highway 64. For Guymon, where rail-related problems have already caused broader traffic snarls, the loss of 12th Street echoed the March 2026 closures that backed up traffic on Hurliman when multiple railroad crossings were blocked. With Union Pacific’s repairs finished, the city restored a vital link, but the incident again showed how quickly a single crossing failure can ripple through business, freight movement and daily travel across Texas County.