An early-morning crash near a set of train tracks in Kirby turned the Monday drive into a slog, sending commuters scrambling for side streets. The incident unfolded around 6:41 a.m. and quickly triggered heavy backups on FM-78 and nearby surface roads. Authorities were still sorting through details, and initial reports did not include specific information about injuries, as reported by MySA.
According to MySA, traffic-monitoring service Sig Alert logged the crash and reported that two vehicles were near the tracks and "almost hit a train." The alert warned drivers to brace for delays of up to one hour while emergency crews worked to clear the scene. MySA also reported it had reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office for more details but had not yet received a response.
Where the backups formed
The slowdown stretched between Gibbs Sprawl Road and Castle Cross Drive, as well as along FM-78 near Seguin Road east of San Antonio, clogging the roadway with morning commuters. Sig Alert flagged that corridor as the main problem zone, and motorists in the area were told to expect significant delays. Drivers who managed to swing around FM-78 found little relief, reporting heavy slowdowns on parallel routes while the crash was being cleared.
Why rail crossings can lock up traffic
Rail crossings near the Kirby rail yard have a reputation for gumming up traffic. Earlier reporting by the Express-News described nearby intersections as long-standing trouble spots and outlined city efforts to chase federal funding and design work for grade separations to prevent trains from halting traffic for extended stretches. That coverage noted that trains serving the Kirby area can block crossings for long periods, making rush-hour jams worse.
Maintenance and operations add to the problem
Reporting from the San Antonio Report has also pointed to maintenance and infrastructure issues at crossings, and said the city meets regularly with Union Pacific about repairs. Those ongoing talks, along with longer-term planning efforts, help explain how a relatively short incident at a rail crossing can quickly snowball into an hour-long headache for drivers.
Anyone heading through the area is advised to consider alternate routes and check live traffic apps or official alerts before leaving. This story will be updated as officials release more information.
