One Arkansas Town With Worse Train Problems than Kalamazoo

Don't get anyone from Kalamazoo started on the railroad tracks downtown. You're sure to hear two different trains trains of thought: one, that the railroads built Kalamazoo and they're still important to our economy. Or, two, that they are a completely unregulated hassle that can stop traffic on the most important streets in the city for hours at a time.

So think Kalamazoo has the worst train problems in America? Meet Humphrey, Arkansas. The city, in the southeast region of the state, has train trouble.

See the city is quite small and the train tracks bisect the town. There are only two streets that connect one side of town from the other. Recently a train stopped for six hours and blocked both crossings.

KARK-TV found

On Friday, (city resident) Michael Hodges says a train sat on the tracks for nearly 6 hours, and wasn't moved until early Saturday morning. He calls that dangerous since the crossing is the main way to get to the other side of town.

"It's very unfair," said Hodges, who runs an auto body shop near the crossing. "It shouldn't have been blocked for 6 hours."

Hodges says most trains speed by without incident, but he claims some days trains keep stopping without an explanation.

That last paragraph sound familiar, Kalamazoo residents?

"Across the railroad tracks is half the town and if someone needed an ambulance, I don't know what they'd do, they might die," he added.

Take a look at this map and you'll see the trouble the southern part of town, where A&C Fish is (tons of 5 star reviews, by the way, "I love eating at A & C Fish. The food is very good. The service is great & they are some real friendly country folks.") is fully separated from the north side of town with what appears to be a long detour of town town to make it around the tracked.

So next time you're moaning about waiting on a train in downtown Kalamazoo, remember there's a small town in Arkansas who has it worse than you.

[h/t KARK]