why do trains blow their horns in town?

Question

why do trains blow their horns when they come into a town? they blare that horn at 2 4 5 in the morning and it wakes me up and pisses me off.

Answer 1

Not knocking anyone else's answers--all very good--but, for the most part, they all only account for trains blowing their horns at railroad crossings. However, trains may also blow their horns nowhere near grade crossings for other reasons, especially in busier metropolitan areas.
1. Per station and yard regulations, trains may also blow their horns when arriving at or leaving stations or train yards. They may also be required to blow their horn if they are passing through a station without stopping, running "express," so people waiting for a "local" are warned to stand as far back as possible from the wind current (and train itself) for safety reasons as the train "blows" through.
2. Many 24/7/365 rail networks such as Amtrak, NYC Transit and The Long Island Railroad, try to handle most maintenance issues in the wee hours of the morning and on weekends while service is at its least frequent--which makes since to minimize impact to service--so those blasts you may be hearing, especially in the early AM may be trains alerting track crews to their presence. You'd be surprised how 100's of tons of stainless steel could sneak up on you!
3. If you've ever honked at someone as a "hello," then you won't find it odd to understand why occasionally engineers/train operators do the same for friends, coworkers and the general public if they wave.

Answer 2

I understand the train blowing there horn, but I think excess blowing is not necessary. When there's no vehicle in site or once the train go throw there crossing. Not all trains but some trains just ride the horn. I live where there are two railroad crossing within 100 feet. Sometime it not to bad, but the last two days its been bad and loud seen like the horn was stuck. Leesville, La. Thanks

Answer 3

the town i live in went with a quiet zone,they had to block all the pedestrian level crossings and only allow peds at the car crossings with gates,all the bike pathes across the tracks closed as well.
with out the horn car drivers and peds are responsible for looking for the trains.we have had lots of close calls from the signals not working well and the train being 20 ft from the road before the gates come down

Answer 4

Per federal law, trains must blow their horns when approaching grade crossings (tracks over roads.)

However, cities can petition with the FRA (Federal Railway Administration) to create a quiet zone - if the cities install special crossing equipment, lights, horns and signs, after they conduct a 60-day study period and provide for public comment.

Perhaps you and your neighbors can convince your city or county officials to consider creating a quiet zone and then you can regain your sleep.

Check the link below.

Answer 5

The signals are required by law, and for a very good reason.

Safety. First and foremost, forever and always. "Quiet Zones" is a polite euphemism for "no liability". It is BS.

I have been fighting the establishment of one in the town which I live. Every bit of warning is vital.

Do you really, reeeally, reeeeealy want to see what happens with the PEDESTRIAN traffic at grade crossings with OUT reduced warning (Keep in mind the criteria for the "no blow" zones addresses only VEHICULAR traffic)?

Go to You Tube. Log in. Search "Banned from TV - Train accident". This a NO BS video of a real life person getting real life dead by a real life train.

And we WANT to take away a warning device?

Sorry if we disturb your sleep, my friend. But our sleep gets disturbed before it starts. You will never see "the look". The surprise, followed by the look of sheer terror as a human being realizes their date with eternity is but a heartbeat away.

Nope. You'll never see that. But the train crew will, every time they try to go to sleep, for the rest of their lives.

(By the way, 2:45AM is when the drunks are heading home and grade crossing fatalities go up)

Sleep well, my friend.

Answer 6

they blow their horn at crossings sizzlechest, so rubberneckers like you won't go plowing into the train nits

Answer 7

train, by law, must sound its whistle at any crossing no matter the hour, no matter the traffic flow, no matter if they are 100% alone, that whistle must sound.

Answer 8

they do it just too piss you off. Who was their first you or the Railroad.