Hush Up, Choo-Choo: Train Horns Silenced In OC
ORANGE (CBS) — Ssshhhhh: it's quiet time for residents living near railroad crossings in Orange.
Train horns at all 16 crossings in the city are set to fall silent after new safety enhancements have been completed, marking the start of a long-awaited citywide quiet zone.
While engineers are required by law to sound their horns up to four times upon approaching a crossing, once a quiet zone is established, engineers may limit their signal at their discretion, such as while traveling through a construction zone.
The project, which began in August 2009 and was completed in January, paves the way for official quiet zone status with the Federal Railroad Administration.
Some of the upgrades spawned by the $85 million county-wide effort include better warning devices, additional gate arms, improved signage and coordinated traffic signals.
"This is something our city has been working toward for years and I am excited our residents will finally have relief from noisy train horns rolling through town," said Carolyn Cavecche, mayor of Orange and a board member of the Orange County Transportation Authority.
OCTA has teamed up with Metrolink to install the safety enhancements at 50 railroad crossings in eight cities throughout Orange County.
Cities will be eligible to apply for quiet zone status once the improvements are complete.
Visit the OCTA website for more about railroad crossing safety enhancements in your neighborhood.
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