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The village of Tinley Park, Ill., is seeking Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approval to establish quiet zones at six grade crossings.

Train horns will sound at the crossings only if an engineer deems it necessary for safety reasons, village officials said in a prepared statement.

"If all goes well, residents living near those crossings will no longer hear the routine sounding of train horns beginning Oct. 1," they said.

Once the quiet zones are in place, the village will be responsible for remaining in compliance with FRA regulations regarding traffic counts and crossing changes.

"We began the effort to establish quiet zones almost two years ago, but the long process is well worth it because it results in a higher quality of life for our residents who live near the tracks," said Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved construction authorization from the Ohio Rail Development Commission directing CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway to install flashing lights and gates at four grade crossings.

CSXT will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at three crossings in Hancock and Wood counties, and NS will install mast-mounted flashing lights and roadway gates at a crossing in Seneca County.

The railroads must complete the upgrades by June 12, 2013. Funding for the projects will be covered by federal dollars.