Reporting Excessive Train Horns in the Railroad Quiet Zone

The North Ridgeville Railroad Quiet Zone extends along the Norfolk Southern Railroad from the west corporation line at Elyria to the east corporation line at Olmsted Township.  To report excessive train horns heard near the North Ridgeville Railroad Quiet Zone crossings at Race Road, Maddock Road, Root Road and Chestnut Ridge Road, residents may call the Norfolk Southern Railroad Dearborn, Michigan dispatch center in addition to calling the City of North Ridgeville.  The phone number for the dispatch center is 313-323-5806.  Callers will need the date and time that they hear the trains along with the milepost number at which they hear them (Race Road is 203.76, Maddock Road is 203.3, Root Road is 201.69, Chestnut Ridge is 201.3).  Callers will also need to tell the dispatch center that they checked with the city and the quiet zone beacons are in working order.  There is another phone number for the local Train Master Tim Pate—812-385-2975.  The Train Masters will sometimes go out and watch the trains to find out which particular train engineer is blowing his horn.

Please remember that train engineers are authorized to blow their horns if there is a vehicle, pedestrian, animal, or train crew in the vicinity of the railroad tracks.  Train horns must be sounded in a standardized pattern of 2 long, 1 short and 1 long blast.  The pattern must be repeated or prolonged until the lead locomotive or lead cab car occupies the grade crossing.

The Federal Rail Administration rule requires that train horns shall begin to be sounded at least 15 seconds, but no more than 20 seconds, before the locomotive enters a crossing.  The engineer may also sound their horn not more than 25 seconds before the locomotive enters a crossing if the engineer is unable to precisely estimate the time of arrival of the train at the crossing.  Eastbound trains may sound their horns up to a quarter mile west of the Bronson Road crossing in Olmsted Township because Olmsted Township does not have a railroad quiet zone.  These horns may be heard at the east corporation limits of North Ridgeville.