Train crossroad at Gilman closed on Feb. 7 after protruding metal was puncturing car tires. Photo: Nick Fylstra
The train crossing at Gilman was closed by authorities on the night of Feb. 7 after protruding metal was found to be puncturing car tires. Photo: Nick Fylstra

The train crossing at Gilman in Berkeley was closed Sunday night after a number of cars passing over the tracks ended up with punctured tires, according to authorities. It remained closed to cars Monday morning.

Berkeley Police spokeswoman Lt. Alyson Hart said that at around 8 p.m. Sunday the police received a call that there was something on the railroad tracks at Gilman that was puncturing tires. The police responded and found two large pieces of metal that were sticking up between the tracks.

“They looked like support bars that run perpendicular between the tracks,” she said. The pieces of metal punctured the tires of several vehicles. “We shut down the intersection to avoid further damage,” she said.

The Gilman train crossroad remained closed Monday after pieces of metal on the track were found to be puncturing tires. Image: Google Maps
The Gilman train crossing remained closed Monday after pieces of metal on the track were found to be puncturing tires. Image: Google Maps

Union Pacific told BPD it believed a passing train had damaged the tracks. Union Pacific sent out an emergency crew that was still on the scene Monday morning working on the tracks.

Hart said the tracks should be repaired and the intersection opened up by 11:30 a.m.

Berkeleyside will update this story when we source new information.

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Tracey Taylor is co-founder of Berkeleyside and co-founder and editorial director of Cityside, the nonprofit parent to Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Before launching Berkeleyside, Tracey wrote for...