Train horns sounding to be silenced with successful completion of Lake County Quiet Zone crossing improvements

Mayor Steve Lentz is very pleased to announce that the Lake County Quiet Zone will be reinstated in approximately one week. The communities within the Lake County Quiet Zone were notified by the Federal Railroad Administration that all crossings are compliant with the new federal quiet zone regulations, and the quiet zone suspension is being lifted. Routine train horn sounding should be silenced at crossings within seven days of the notice, received Dec. 13.

The Lake County Quiet Zone runs along the CN/Metra rail line with 59 rail crossings throughout the 10 communities (from Wheeling to Antioch). Following recent inspections, 45 crossings across the 10 communities required improvements including 13 median upgrades, 27 signage needs and five speed waivers. A temporary suspension of the quiet zone went into effect Oct. 11, while the communities worked strategically and aggressively to complete the improvements as quickly as possible. The quiet zone is treated as a whole, so until the entirety of improvements was complete, trains have continued sounding horns at crossings in all communities within the quiet zone.

Work has been completed on the 45 crossings over the past several months, followed by a reinspection by the FRA to ensure compliance. The improvements are evidence of the Lake County Quiet Zone communities’ commitment to ensuring the long-term compliance of the quiet zone.

While routine horn sounding at crossings will be silenced, it is not uncommon to hear horns from time to time. Train engineers have the discretion to do so for safety purposes.