In July, representatives with the Federal Railroad Administration, the Union Pacific Railroad, the Texas Department of Transportation and the town met for an update on the proposed quiet zone. Town officials have engaged with a contractor to help them through the quiet zone process, Matt Hotelling, Flower Mound’s assistant director of public works and transportation, said.
Hotelling said the process was initiated so that residents in the area can “sleep through the night,” since some residents live just a few hundred feet from the railway crossing where train operators are currently required to sound their horns.
The overview
According to the Union Pacific Railroad, trains are required by federal law to sound their horns at least 20 seconds before entering public crossings. In quiet zones, horns can’t be used unless there is an emergency, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Train operators can also sound their horns in quiet zones when it is to comply with federal regulations or railroad operating rules. These quiet zones must be at least half a mile long.
In quiet zones, there must be at least one public highway-rail grade crossing and all public grade crossings must have automatic warning devices, according to TxDOT.
Diving deeper
The town has also been informed that the quiet zone application will have to go through the Public Authority Application process because the speed limit on Cross Timbers Road, where the quiet zone would be situated, exceeds 40 miles per hour.
Representatives with the Union Pacific Railroad also informed town staff that the process could take up to 16 months to complete. Additionally, a local inspector for the Federal Railroad Administration informed town staff that there is no guarantee that the quiet zone will be approved because the speed limit on Cross Timbers Road is 50 miles per hour.
What’s next?
Assuming all the Federal Railroad Administration and Public Authority Application process requirements are met, there would still be another five to six months before the quiet zone would be active. In the meantime, trains passing through the area will continue to use standard crossing protocols, which will likely include blowing the train horn.
