HOUSTON — A railroad operator agreed to changes after meeting with the Houston mayor. A Union Pacific spokesperson shared details of the changes Tuesday. The changes come after a student was struck by a train and killed while walking to school on Dec. 9.
Union Pacific agreed to adjust the train schedule and make changes to the railroad crossings. Sergio Rodriguez, 15, was killed while walking to Milby High School in southeast Houston. A spokesperson said Union Pacific held a meeting with Mayor John Whitmire Tuesday.
A statement from Union Pacific Tuesday read:
"Union Pacific appreciated today’s meeting with Houston Mayor John Whitmire. We agreed to immediately adjust our operations to avoid running trains near Milby High School for one hour during school drop-off and pick-up times and extending the sidewalks to enhance the crossing, while we collaborate on long-term solutions and additional rail safety outreach efforts."
Whitmire proposed a pedestrian bridge to be constructed near Milby High School at a city council meeting last week.
Rodriguez was laid to rest Monday.
Rodriguez's family filed a lawsuit against Union Pacific last week. The family's attorney said Union Pacific was negligent and the train was moving at an "excessive and unreasonable speed".
A spokesperson for the railroad operator responded to the lawsuit saying, "Union Pacific shares Houston’s grief following Monday’s heartbreaking event when a teenager made a tragic decision to try and outrun a moving train. We want to remind students and others to only cross train tracks at designated crossings and never ignore train horns or the lights and safety gates. Our hearts go out to the family, students and the train crew who witnessed this terrible incident."