A quiet zone at the Hero Way railroad crossing was rescinded Feb. 12 and restored Oct. 21.[/caption]

Trains approaching the railroad crossing at Hero Way are again keeping their horns quiet after a quiet zone at the crossing was reinstituted by a city ordinance Oct. 21.

The Federal Railroad Administration, which oversees Capital Metro railroads, rescinded the quiet zone Feb. 12 after an agency audit could not locate documents proving the area met federal qualifications, City Engineer Wayne Watts said.

“Cap Metro didn’t have the proper paperwork in their files when FRA did an audit,” Watts said.

A quiet zone requires a train operator to refrain from sounding a horn while approaching a railroad crossing. Without a quiet zone, residents near the Hero Way railroad crossing heard train horns every time a passenger or freight train passed through the city.

To restore the quiet zone, the city appropriated $70,000 for Capital Metro to install a fifth barrier arm at the crossing—meaning the city and Capital Metro would not require special permission for a quiet zone there, he said.