CLEVELAND, December 22 — On December 18, the Federal Railroad Administration published an Interim Final Rule on the use of locomotive horns at highway-rail grade crossings.
The purpose of this rulemaking is to determine when the horn is sounded at public grade crossings, which has previously been governed by state laws and railroad operating rules.
The rule would mandate the sounding of the horn 15-20 seconds prior to arriving at a crossing. The rule prescribes both a minimum and a maximum sound level for the horn, which could reduce the level of noise in the locomotive cab.
The rule, which prempts state laws, will go into effect on December 18, 2004. It provides risk-based exemptions so that communities can still establish or maintain quiet zones. The rule allows for local authorities to maintain existing quiet zones, if they take action to compensate for the lack of a train horn within five years of the rule’s publication.
The FRA will accept comments on the rule through February 17, 2004. More information on the rule is available on the FRA’s website at: http://www.fra.dot.gov.