Who do you complain to about train noise? They blow their horns at all hours of the night.?

Question

We have no train crossing near us but they lay on their horns continuosly through the night.

I am near a track but not a crossing. I heard them when I first moved in occasionally. I think they have increased production because it's about every 30 minutes now. Some conductors just lay on the horn for about a good 20 seconds, even at 4:00 am. There has to be some noise ordinance when they are operating during the night, right?

Answer 1

Petition your town. The Federal government has created a way towns can apply for a "quiet zone". Otherwise Federal law requires they blow the horn.

Here's the FRA's official page on the rules change.
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1318


Here's Union Pacific's page on the subject
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/horn.shtml

Answer 2

You can file a complaint with CSX. I moved into a house near a railroad track but not a crossing. Yes, I moved here knowing that there was a train. I also moved here with the knowledge that they do not need to blow the horn until they are so far in front of a crossing or if animals for pedestrians are on the track. Some train employees just do not have respect for people living near the tracks. They should be grateful to have such an easy job instead of trying to make things unpleasant for others.

Answer 3

You're not near a crossing - but you are near a track, I take it?
Was the track there when you moved in? If so - you chose to live there, and your home would have been priced accordingly (lower than NOT near a track). You surely must have realized there would be noise. Trains don't operate silently.

Caveat Emptor - sorry.

*PS* Honestly, I doubt there's anything you can do - train operators do not "lean on their horns" for no reason, usually. There is no noise ordinance covering trains in most counties.

You can try contacting your county offices and/or the railways - in the first instance, just ask if there is any reason signal activity has increased & give days, dates, times etc so they can identify the engines involved.

IF there is unnecessary activity, they may address the issue.

Answer 4

Noise Train

Answer 5

The FRA requires train to blow there horns 1500', 1000', 500' and at the crossing. It federal law.

Answer 6

Safety reasons.....they still MUST blow the horn before all crossings even though it is in the middle of the night....Trains conduct business 24/7...So the same rules that apply to day time goes the same for night.

Answer 7

No answer to this question or telephone number. This is useless. we are in a quiet zone in El Sereno California 90032 Most at 4P.m and 5 pm. and there is no road crossing... They guy sleeps on the Horn. All day long. This is near the Alhambra area. Our good Council man stated he made El Sereno a Quiet zone. I am a member the Neighborhood Counsel Member for El Sereno. Do I need to start a petition?

Answer 8

Well it ain't the railways fault. They have to blow there horns because they are telling the condutor signals, telling the tower which way they are going and coming from, and warning level crossings that they're coming. Maybe you just need to move to somewhere else.

Answer 9

Those engineers are required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to blow the whistles for a number of reasons. If he/she fails to do so, both the railroad company as well as the individual engineer is subject to steep fines. Also, I will bet everything I own that those railroad tracks were there way before the houses were, so that was something you needed to take into consideration before you moved there. My advise? Invest in some earplugs.

Answer 10

I have often wondered if someone could come up with directional horns or whatever they call their noise makers. That way they could direct the signal toward the crossing and not 3 or 4 miles surrounding the tracks.