Train whistles could soon fall silent at Edmonton crossing

The train whistles that have kept Jason Ushkowski awake at night for more than a decade may soon be silenced.

A report to Edmonton's community and public services committee, which will be discussed on Monday, says that CN Rail has approved changes to its rail crossing at 162nd Avenue east of 142nd Street.

• Councillors on-board to spend $50,000 to silence noisy train whistle

The approval is another step toward allowing the trains to pass through the intersection without having to sound a whistle.

The whistle is meant to warn oncoming traffic of the train's approach as it crosses the intersection. 

"I'm pretty excited to hear that," said Ushkowski on Thursday. "I'm looking forward to sleeping right through and not getting abruptly woken up by that loud air horn in the middle of the night."

The report identifies eight rail crossing sites that require safety upgrades so that trains will no longer have to sound a whistle while passing through:

• 127 Avenue at Dunvegan Road:
  Warning signage and pavement marking stop lines will need to be installed as well as a pedestrian/cyclist warning system of flashing lights, bells and gate arm for shared-use path
• 162 Avenue east of 142 Street:
   Warning signage will need to be installed as well as a warning system of flashing lights, bells and gate  arms
• 167 Avenue east of 142 Street:
   Install warning signage and pavement marking stop lines
• 101 Street south of Ellerslie Road:
   Install warning and no trespassing signage
• ​64 Avenue east of 30 Street:
   Install warning signage and road regrading
• ​Meridian Street north of 178 Avenue:
  Install pavement marking stop lines and regrade road profile
• 34 Street at 94 Avenue:
  Install warning signage
• ​Celanese Road at 17 Street:
  Install warning signage and pavement marking stop lines, regrade road profile 

'They wake up their kids'

The total cost of the work is estimated at $745,000, according to the report. The city would have to pay for the work upfront but could see as much as 80 per cent of the cost reimbursed by Transport Canada.

"It's been a long time," said Calvin Cazes, president of the Cumberland-Oxford Community League. "I talk to residents regularly and they definitely have complaints about the train whistle."

CN's track cuts through the community from 137th Avenue through to the Anthony Henday ring road along the east side of 142nd Street.

The trains are required to blow their horns in a four-blast pattern when approaching an intersection.

"For some (residents), the trains come through at night, they wake up their kids, there can be a couple or even three trains going through," said Cazes. "The kid will just get back to sleep and it whistles again."

A committee of city council will review the report on Monday.