Train horns blare again on EJ&E
Train horns are sounding again on the EJ&E Railway, at least for awhile.
Equipment work has engineers blowing horns at most rail crossings from North Chicago to Bartlett, after several months of being designated a quiet zone.
Municipalities last week were notified that the quiet zone affecting about three dozen crossings was temporarily suspended because the railroad needs to convert equipment from analog to digital.
Crossings are equipped with what is known as a "power-out indicator" that warns oncoming trains the crossing has lost electrical power. In that case, the gates wouldn't work and engineers would need to sound their horns.
That equipment operated on an analog cellular network, which reportedly was shut down by AT&T, as most cell phones are digital. That means it has to be converted, a process that initially was thought might have taken months.
However, conversion kits are being installed, and the horn-sounding is expected to be temporary.
"They've actually gotten some of the devices and are starting to install them," said Vernon Hills Village Manager Mike Allison. If that fix resolves the problem, the quiet zone could be reinstated by the end of the month, he said.
Relief may not be as fast for the quiet-zone corridor from Barrington to Bartlett, which went into effect Feb. 15.
About 5,000 residents live near two quiet zones in Bartlett, according to Steven Bosco, assistant to the village administrator.
"The frustrating thing is we've been working on it for two years," Bosco said.
The village hopes the quiet zone is back in place by mid- summer.
The horns aren't a glaring problem on the EJ&E through Vernon Hills, as there only are two crossings. Yet it can be annoying to some residents.
"The couple of trains that normally go through are in the middle of the night," Allison said.
Initially, 10 communities from Antioch to Wheeling thought the Canadian National Railway line, which carries Metra's North Central commuter line, also might be affected by the equipment replacement. But that's not the case.
That line, which also spans 38 crossings but has many more trains, was designated a quiet zone several months ago after a two-year effort by the communities.
There is a snag regarding a quiet zone on a third area line.
A quiet zone for the Milwaukee District North Line from Grayslake to Libertyville was to have gone into effect Dec. 21. That has been delayed because of a concern with the crossing at St. Mary's Road in Libertyville.
According to Libertyville officials, Metra said that crossing needed a warning device that would cost $250,000 to $300,000 and take 18 months or more to install.
The Federal Railroad Administration told the village's consultant the entire quiet zone between the communities has been revoked, and a new application without the St. Mary's crossing must be submitted.
The village is working with Metra and U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk to resolve the issue.