Who regulates the sounding of train horns at railroad crossings?
• The sounding of train horns at crossings is regulated by federal rules from the Federal Railway Authority (FRA). Return to top of page Why has train noise increased in recent years? • The apparent recent increase in train noise, despite the number of trains passing through our community remaining fairly stable (about seven per day), is due to federal rules governing the blowing of horns at crossings adopted in 2005 and a recent push for an increased adherence to those rules by BNSF. The new federal rules require that all trains sound horns at between 96 and 110 decibels at all public crossings. You may wish to contact BNSF for clarification and further explanation on their current freight operations and their use of horns. Return to top of page What can legally be done to decrease train noise at crossings? • The same 2005 Federal Railway Authority rules that governed the blowing of horns also established a process by which local governments can establish “quiet zones,” which remove t
