Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — No, you aren't imagining it. Freight and commuter train operators are sounding train horns across the Wasatch Front more frequently than usual.
However, citizens across the region are hopeful it's just temporary.
Nearly every railroad crossing from Ogden to Provo, including many previously designated quiet zones, no longer meets Federal Railroad Administration standards after the agency recently updated its quiet zone regulations, Union Pacific and Utah Transit Authority officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Quiet zones are designations for which cities can apply, where railroad crossings are safe enough for operators to pass through without using a horn unless they believe there's an immediate threat on the tracks. The federal agency says cities across the Wasatch Front will need to update striping, signage, curbing and other safety measures to retain their quiet zone status.
Lehi and Woods Cross, which applied for quiet zone status for multiple cities across the Wasatch Front, were recently informed of the situation, UTA and Union Pacific officials said in a joint statement Tuesday. The policy change has prompted more train horns at more intersections at all hours of the day beginning this week.
"Rail safety is critical — it only takes seconds for tragedy to strike. … As cities determine how they respond to the (Federal Railroad Administration) findings, UTA and Union Pacific must instruct our operators to sound horns every time we cross these areas," the companies wrote.
Many residents — especially those who live near quiet zones — have noticed the change. For example, Davis County residents flooded the Ring app this week to report their experiences.
"I live one block from (West Bountiful City Park) and the train whistle sure woke me," one person wrote. "(I) hope that isn't going to be our new normal."
City officials across the region also hope unlimited train horns are not the new normal. In a statement Monday, Lehi officials said they believe the deficiencies are "minor and don't pose a safety risk."
They added that cities are "working diligently to address the issues" so all previously designated quiet zones can be reestablished as soon as possible. Some of the other impacted cities issued similar statements this week.
It remains unclear when the situation will be resolved, but UTA and Union Pacific officials say they plan to help cities get their quiet zones back on track with federal standards.
Until that happens, residents will have to deal with more train horns than usual.
