Quiet Zones / Train Horns
Train horns are required to be sounded by the railroad conductors when approaching a highway-railroad grade crossing. A Federal Railroad Administration rule outlines when and how train horns are to be sounded at crossings. Included in the rule are ways in which communities can introduce supplemental safety measures silence the horns through the establishment of a quiet zone.
Quiet zones are funded exclusively by the local community desiring their establishment.
The Federal Railroad Administration's Web site includes additional guidance on quiet zones.