Ferndale Neighbors Report Increased Train Noise

Some Ferndale residents report train whistles have become longer and more frequent recently, but representatives from Amtrak and CN, whose trains run through the city, said neither company has changed its signal practices.

A query about the length and frequency of train whistles in Ferndale on the Ferndale Patch Facebook page garnered nearly 45 comments, including the following.

"I live right around Woodward Heights and Bermuda, and for the last few months the freight train engineers blast their horn as they go across Woodward Heights," Colleen McCurry Huston wrote. "My husband & I use to enjoy the train and it wouldn't bother us. But, now with them blasting their horn for as long as 25-30 seconds (I counted once), it's becoming a BIG nuisance!!"

Train whistles are not governed by local ordinance. Instead, engineers must adhere to the following rules set by the Federal Railroad Administration, according to the agency's website.

• ... Engineers must begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public grade crossings.
• If a train is traveling faster than 60 mph, engineers will not sound the horn until it is within ¼ mile of the crossing, even if the advance warning is less than 15 seconds.
• There is a "good faith" exception for locations where engineers can’t precisely estimate their arrival at a crossing and begin to sound the horn no more than 25 seconds before arriving at the crossing.
• Train horns must be sounded in a standardized pattern of 2 long, 1 short and 1 long blasts. The pattern must be repeated or prolonged until the lead locomotive or lead cab car occupies the grade crossing. The rule does not stipulate the durations of long and short blasts.
• The maximum volume level for the train horn is 110 decibels ...

CN public affairs manager Patrick Waldron said he has not received any complaints from Ferndale residents about increased train noise but offered several possible explanations.

"Generally speaking, train movements are as usual," he said. "Of course, a few vary from time to time based on customer demand."

Meaning, if more trains are passing through the area because business has picked up or if they are signaling at unusual times, neighbors may notice more noise.

"There's a whole host of factors" that can affect how much noise residents hear, including weather and traffic conditions, Waldron added.

Concerned residents may call CN's public inquiry line at 888-888-5909 and should be prepared to cite specific times, dates and streets when they call, he said.

Amtrak media relations manager Marc Magliari also said his company has not changed its whistle policy.

"We have six trains a day that go up from Detroit to Pontiac and back down," he said. "That pales in comparison to the freight train traffic in the area."

Magliari said residents can find a schedule for the Wolverine line, which also travels to Chicago, posted on amtrak.com.

[Have you noticed louder and more frequent train whistles in Ferndale? Leave a comment!]