Crossings in United States
Posted on:1/3/2006
| In the United States, and in countries following US practices, a train must have a bright headlight and ditch lights, a working bell, and a whistle or horn must be sounded as the train approaches the crossing. |
Some American cities, citing noise pollution abatement, have passed laws prohibiting the sounding of bells and whistles, however their ability to enforce such rules is debatable. In December of 2003, The US Federal Railroad Administration published regulations that would create areas where train horns could be silenced, provided that certain safety measures were put in place. More information can be found at the FRA website and following the page link under 'Train horn rule.' Implementation of the new "Quiet Zone" Final Rule was delayed repeatedly, but finally implemented in the summer of 2005.
City rail crossing in the United States