EAST HELENA — For some East Helena residents, train horns are a frequent and sometimes late-night noise, but the horns you hear aren’t something East Helena can ban. Federal Railroad Administration rules require them at public crossings unless a community takes additional steps to qualify for a quiet zone.
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Federal rules require train crews to sound a specific horn pattern when approaching public highway-rail crossings. Communities can establish quiet zones where those horns are not routinely required.
There’s already an example just down the road in Helena. The city of Helena’s quiet zone went into effect in 2017 after safety improvements were made at crossings, costing over $100,000 for each crossing.
And that’s the catch for East Helena: It is too big a price tag.
East Helena Mayor Kelly Harris says with around four crossings to consider, the cost of making those upgrades would be too high for the city right now.
Even if a quiet zone were created, the horns wouldn’t disappear completely. Federal rules still allow engineers to sound their horns in emergencies or when they need to warn people, vehicles, or animals on or near the tracks.
So for now, East Helena residents will continue to hear those horns while the city says the cost of a quiet zone is a difficult investment.
