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On Monday, the state of Ohio’s first quiet zone was established in Springfield. Norfolk Southern Railway trains stopped sounding their horns at grade crossing through downtown.

Tomorrow, state, local and NS officials will dedicate the quiet zone during ceremonies to be held in downtown Springfield.

In 2004, a city task force and community leaders began discussing ways to boost grade crossing safety because of increasing rail traffic through downtown. To institute the quiet zone, the city and railroad worked together to close redundant crossings, and install four-quadrant gates and lights or wayside horns at other crossings.
 
“We know of several more Ohio communities interested in establishing safer and quieter rail corridors,” said Ohio Rail Development Commission Executive Director Matt Dietrich in a prepared statement. “Having a major, operating quiet zone like this one in Springfield gives the rest of the state a good model to emulate.”