The autonomous car revolution is experiencing some serious growing pains in the Lone Star State. A Waymo robotaxi is making national headlines after a terrifying viral video showed the driverless vehicle stopped inside a railway crossing in Texas, appearing to miss a passing train by mere inches.
The incident, which was captured in a now-viral YouTube Short, shows the autonomous car parked awkwardly between the lowered railroad crossing arm and the active tracks. While the vehicle stood its ground during the tense moment and managed to avoid a catastrophic collision, the optics of the massive safety breach have forced the tech giant to hit the brakes on its current routes.
Waymo and CapMetro Respond to the Viral Video
Following public outcry, Waymo confirmed that there were no passengers inside the vehicle at the time of the incident. However, a collision with a moving train could have easily derailed train cars or sent debris flying, putting countless nearby lives at risk.
In response to the alarming footage, a spokesperson for Waymo issued a statement defending the vehicle’s internal safety logic, while simultaneously admitting that parking past a crossing gate is a major cause for concern.
“Waymo vehicles have safely traversed railroad crossings millions of times fully autonomously. In these instances, the vehicles performed a controlled stop more than 2.5 meters before the tracks, after the crossing lights activated as the vehicles approached the crossing,” said a spokesperson from Waymo, via Khou.com.
“While the vehicles remained at a distance from the tracks, we recognize the concern caused by stopping past the crossing gate. We have temporarily restricted traversals at similar crossings while we review the event and refine our system’s response.”
Local transit authorities are also getting involved. On Sunday, a spokesperson for CapMetro – the regional public transportation provider in Central Texas – released a brief statement confirming their own investigation into the situation.
“We are aware of the video circulating depicting a Waymo vehicle at a CapMetro rail crossing,” the CapMetro spokesperson said. “Our teams are currently reviewing the data and gathering information to complete a full assessment of the event. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Read More from MotorBiscuit:
- Waymo Robotaxi Obstructs Ambulance During Austin Mass Shooting Emergency
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A String of High-Profile Autonomous Errors
This railroad incident arrives at the absolute worst time for Waymo’s public relations team. Just days prior, MotorBiscuit reported on a deeply concerning incident where a Waymo robotaxi completely blocked the path of an ambulance responding to a mass shooting emergency on West Sixth Street in Austin.
During that chaotic scene, the ambulance was forced to take an alternate route to reach the victims, and a local police officer eventually had to take manual control of the autonomous vehicle just to clear the roadway.
By the Numbers: Are Robotaxis Actually Safer?
Despite these incidents causing widespread public alarm, Waymo continues to echo its sentiment to outlets like ABC News that “self-driving cars are safer than human drivers.” Interestingly, the overarching data largely supports that bold claim.
- 462: The number of reported incidents involving Waymo vehicles in 2024, according to NHTSA crash data.
- 733: The number of Waymo incidents reported through mid-November of 2025.
- 90%: The estimated reduction in serious-injury crashes involving Waymo’s driverless cars compared to traditional human-driven vehicles navigating those exact same roads.
While the total number of collisions has undeniably increased alongside the rapid expansion of Waymo’s fleet across new cities, the vast majority of these encounters have resulted in minor property damage or no injuries at all.
However, as the Texas train incident proves, this system needs serious refinement.
