Neighbors still listening for railroad quiet zone

Those waiting for an end to train warning horns blowing at the Dock Road crossing in the riverfront district of White Salmon are going to have to wait a little longer.

And those who live far enough away to appreciate the signature sound of the passing trains will get to keep hearing them a little longer.

Dock Road is across State Route 14 from the bottom of Dock Grade Road.

According to Sharon McCormack, one of the organizers of an effort to establish a so-called "quiet zone" at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) crossing, the effort is still moving forward -- but is doing so slowly.

"It's because of bureaucratic stuff," explained McCormack, who lives in White Salmon. "We're waiting for final engineering designs to be done. That should happen in the next several weeks. At this point we're on hold. When talking about these large organizations, it takes a lot of time."

Among those who have to officially sign off on a quiet zone are BNSF, the Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission, and the Federal Railroad Administration.

The White Salmon City Council voiced support for the quiet zone with a 4-1 vote in February 2008.

Approximately 30-40 freight trains a day use the BNSF mainline through the Columbia River Gorge, which runs from Portland to Chicago and other Midwest points. In addition, the Amtrak Empire Builder passenger train comes through twice a day -- once eastbound, once westbound.

By rule, engineers blow the train's horn four times when approaching a grade crossing -- two longs, a short, and another long.

Some residents who live close to the tracks have complained about the sound, and hope to meet a complex set of criteria that will allow the trains to pass through the crossing without being required to use the horn.

The formula for creating a quiet zone includes how many vehicles use the crossing per day; whether the tracks are protected by gates or other devices; options for a stationary, less intrusive horn, and other issues.

However, even with a quiet zone, train crews are empowered to blow the horn -- at their discretion -- anytime they see something that might be a possible safety hazard to a pedestrian, vehicle, or to the train itself.