News

Train-whistle answers sooner than expected?

By Alan Burke
Staff writer
Published: August 21, 2008

IPSWICH — It might not take as long to quiet train horns as some residents feared.

Due to a late filing by town officials, the Federal Railroad Administration warned that it could take a mandatory 60 days of comment before a waiver request could even be considered. In the meantime, trains have started blowing their whistles again.

Now, FRA spokesman Rob Kulat is explaining that a 20-day period may do the trick. After that, "It depends on the comments," he said. Additionally, the town must have sufficient safety measures in place before the quiet zones can be implemented once again.

As a first step, the administration will publish an announcement in the Federal Register, giving the public an opportunity to comment.

Normally, a 45-day comment period is allowed, according to Kulat. "Given the high level of local interest, FRA is providing a significantly shortened 20-day public comment period."

The Federal Railroad Administration ordered train whistles to be sounded at all five of the town's crossings after a deadline passed for the town to submit a plan to improve safety at the crossings.

Before that, horns were sounded only on inbound trains (headed to Boston) at the Topsfield Road crossing. A plan was submitted in late July to install four-quadrant gates at the crossings, essentially adding two more gates at each one to prevent motorists from snaking their way around the gates. It's unclear whether the plan will be accepted, and how much longer the horns will be sounded.

Whistles serve a safety function, but residents have complained that they keep them awake. If the waiver request is approved, "the railroad would be directed to cease routine sounding of locomotive horns."