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 WSOR News Archive Federal Railroad Administration's Train Horn & Quiet Zone Rule Pursuant to a legislative mandate, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued an Interim Final Rule for the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Crossings that was publicized on December 18, 2003. The rule was originally scheduled to go into effect one year from its date of publication, or December 18, 2004, but the effective date has been extended to June 24th, 2005. As of June 24th, 2005, all state and local laws governing locomotive horn blowing will be preempted by federal law, unless a community(s) have had applicable ordinances in place prior to the Final Rule. While in effect, railroads will be required to sound their horns 15-20 seconds before arriving at a crossing, but not more than one-quarter mile in advance of a crossing. The pattern for blowing the horn will remain the same: two long, one short, and one long to be repeated as necessary until the locomotive clears the crossing. Locomotive engineers retain authority to sound the horn in emergency situations, regardless if a quiet zone is in effect. The rule provides opportunities for communities nationwide to mitigate the effects of train horn noise by establishing "quiet zones." Mitigation will be in the form of having supplemental safety measures implemented at Highway-Rail Crossings located within a quiet zone. The rule also details actions communities with pre-existing "whistle bans" can take to preserve existing ordinances and/or quiet zones. Prior to the effective date, the FRA may make changes to the rule as the result of public and industry comments. Caution is extended to those communities going forward with making crossing safety improvements prior to the effective date, as rule modification may alter the requirements for safety measures. Additional information on the Interim Final Rule can be found on the FRA's Web site at www.fra.dot.gov. |