Surrey community cut off due to train stopped on the tracks (PHOTOS)

Editor’s note: The train has now moved since this story was published.

Pack your patience if you’re travelling around South Surrey today. In the morning on Saturday, January 21, a train was stopped on the tracks, effectively cutting off the community of Crescent Beach.

The train, which was running along the line owned by Burlington Northern Sante Fe, stalled before 11 am on Saturday.

Currently, the neighbourhood is served by two road crossings — the main road crossing at the intersection of Crescent Road/Beecher Street and Bayview Street, and the secondary minor road crossing at the intersection of McBride Avenue and Bayview Street.

Here’s a look at the main Crescent Road crossing as of 11:25 am:

City of Surrey Traffic Cameras

And here’s the other railway crossing at Mcbride Avenue:

Surrey

Crews have told some people in the area that the blockage could last up to two hours.

The City of Surrey told Daily Hive that the city “does not have jurisdiction over railway lines,” and that the operator and regulator should be reached for comment.

Burlington Northern, which owns the line, told Daily Hive that a “Northbound BNSF train encountered a mechanical issue that was resolved within an hour.”

“We did immediately notify first responders to coordinate in the event there was an emergency and they needed to access the community,” said a rep.

A mess in Crescent Beach this morning. A train is blocking BOTH entrances to the beach. One of my neighbours said they were told it could be there for up to TWO hours. @DailyHiveVan @CityofSurrey pic.twitter.com/KXXJx6biU7

— Amanda Wawryk (@AmandaWawryk) January 21, 2023

How can this even be happening? A massive train transporting exposed coal at a full stop for at least 30 minutes that we’re aware of. The entire Crescent Beach community cut off @brendalockebc @LindaAnnisBC @TrevHal @SBofT pic.twitter.com/bIUyVp72Rv

— Nela H (@Nela_XBa) January 21, 2023

The City of Surrey has proposed an overpass for the area to increase accessibility and address public safety concerns so that perhaps future issues would not cut off Crescent Beach.