Locomotive commotion: quieting the blaring sound of train horns

Discover what one city is doing to stop this earsplitting problem in its tracks.

Trains rumbling through the center of town can be deafening as they blow their horns to alert motorists at each crossing. In DeKalb, Ill., every day more than 80 Union Pacific Railroad trains sound their horns at each grade crossing, creating about one hour and 30 minutes of noise pollution, says Joel Maurer, the city engineer. “You can’t really talk or get any business done while the train whistle is blowing,” says Maurer who works in city hall in downtown DeKalb.

City seeks a safe solution

The city of DeKalb, Ill., contracted Hanson’s railroad specialists, through the joint venture of Hanson-Wilson Inc., to help quiet the train horn noise in its community while also maintaining safe railroad crossings.

“We needed consulting assistance to get through the maze of various agencies for silencing the train horns,” Maurer says.

It is a complicated process, Maurer adds. The railroad, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Commerce Commission are all involved.

Maurer says DeKalb took steps to silence the trains without the benefit of changes in the FRA’s rules that took effect on April 1, 2005, but the new rules broaden the options for communities to establish quiet zones.

Experts lend an ear to city's concerns

In DeKalb, the Union Pacific Railroad’s double-track, transcontinental mainline crosses seven streets at-grade in the downtown area. Hanson investigated the situation and performed an analysis to determine the optimal safety option at the various grade crossings that would permit silencing locomotive horns as trains passed through the city.

John Redden, a senior railroad engineer with Hanson, evaluated the various alternatives to determine the most cost-effective option at each grade crossing to reduce the annoyance of the locomotive horn. The criteria for determining the best safety option at each crossing in DeKalb was based on noise annoyance, safety, traffic maneuverability and cost, Redden says.

The city adopted a combination of alternatives at the seven railroad crossings that will meet federal guidelines, Redden says.

The city chose to use wayside directional horns at several of the grade crossings even though there still would be an audible alarm as the train approaches the grade crossing. Cost, compared to other alternatives, was a consideration, Redden says.

The wayside directional horns create a warning noise, but the sound is focused in the immediate vicinity of the grade crossing. With the typical locomotive horn, the noise is broadcast to a much larger area.

In DeKalb, the noise mitigation plan awaits approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission. Redden says installation of the wayside horns at the crossings is scheduled to begin this summer with full implementation of a FRA-designated quiet zone by the end of 2006.

Maurer says DeKalb residents are looking forward to less noise as the trains rumble over the tracks.

For more information, contact John Redden at jredden@hanson-inc.com

“We needed consulting assistance to get through the maze of various agencies for silencing
the train horns.”
— Joel Maurer

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