For a few months now, residents in Woods Cross and North Salt Lake have been enduring the sound of train horns as they rumble on the tracks through their communities. In 2008, cities from Ogden to Salt Lake City cooperatively established the “Woods Cross Quiet Zone” through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). 

“Each agency with a street crossing the tracks is responsible for keeping the crossing in compliance with the Quiet Zone regulations,” said Woods Cross City Administrator, Bryce Haderlie. “As the sponsor agency, Woods Cross has been working with the agencies to maintain compliance with FRA regulations.”

On Sept. 30, 2024, the FRA issued a temporary suspension of the entire quiet zone, noting “that routine locomotive horn sound must be initiated at these crossings…and will continue sounding until the quiet zone is compliant.”

UTA and FRA said in a joint statement, “As an identified safety measure by the Federal Railroad Administration, freight and commuter rail train horns will be sounding multiple times a day through all grade crossings from Ogden to Provo. The crossings have previously been designated quiet zones through city applications, but these are currently out of FRA compliance, pending maintenance. According to a letter from the FRA to sponsor cities Woods Cross and Lehi City, who applied for the applications on behalf of multiple cities, cities must complete these repairs before the quiet zones – which have been in place since 2008 – can resume.”

Rail safety is critical, the statement said. “It only takes seconds for tragedy to strike. Union Pacific and Utah Transit Authority’s compliance of horn sounding keeps people safe in areas where things like striping, signage, curbing and other enhanced safety measures by applicant cities do not meet FRA quiet zone standards.”

The conditions are not in Woods Cross City, said Haderlie. “There are no noted deficiencies at any of the crossings in Woods Cross that are the responsibility of the city.” 

In a statement from Woods Cross on Oct. 4, Haderlie said, “Woods Cross is coordinating with the three cities that have the four remaining deficiencies to resolve them as quickly as possible.” Two of the crossings were to be completed and compliant by Oct. 16.

In November, North Salt Lake City (NSL) and Salt Lake City (SLC) engineers were working diligently on the projects that would bring the 1000 West and Main Street crossings into compliance, Haderlie said. “We now understand that while the deficiencies at these two crossings (and nearly all the corrections noted by the FRA since 2021) have existed in the current condition for many years.”

During the holidays, staff from NSL, SLC and Woods Cross, continued to pursue remedies to reinstate the 49-mile-long quiet zone, Haderlie said in a Jan. 9 statement. SLC and NSL submitted waivers to the FRA. “In consideration of the FRA regulations, the waivers will be asking that trains continue sounding horns only at the NSL Main Street and SLC 1000 West industrial crossings until the gate arms are installed by Union Pacific and to allow the quiet zone to be reinstated at all other crossings in the quiet zone.”

Haderlie said the FRA has offered remedies for these two crossings until the gate arms are installed that include:

1. Closing the road that crosses the tracks by digging up and removing the road and crossing panels on each side of the tracks; or 2. Paying for certified flaggers to stop traffic and monitor safety at the crossing (24/7/365 or as needed).

“However, because NSL and SLC would have to pay these expenses that are estimated to start at $300,000 per year or more, in addition to the cost of the gate arm projects, both cities are evaluating these alternatives as it relates to the use of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Utah representatives and senators continue to monitor this issue and are offering staff support to find a remedy, said Haderlie. “We appreciate the dedicated men and women that are working collaboratively to comply with Federal Railroad Administration regulations for safety and the common good created by quiet zones.”

The Salt Lake City and North Salt Lake waivers that have been submitted to the FRA can be viewed at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2024-0115 and https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2024-0124.

Interested parties may submit written views, data, or comments until Jan. 21, 2025 at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FRA-2024-0115/document by clicking on the gray “Comment” box in the lower right hand corner of the notice box. λ