Savannah earns Quiet Zone designation on CSX line

Savannah city officials in Georgia yesterday announced a federally designated quite zone has been implemented on the CSX-owned Old Fort Rail Line that runs through the downtown.

Trains will no longer need to blow their horns through the crossings from Habersham Street to President Street, the first phase of the project. In the case of an emergency, trains will be allowed to blow their horns, per the parameters outlined by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), city officials said in a press release.

This is the first portion of a multiphase project the city is pursuing with partners at the FRA, Georgia Department of Transportation, CSX and Watco. The next phases of the quiet zone will focus on Habersham to 52nd Street.

The city has been seeking quiet-zone designation for years following resident complaints about increased train traffic and noise related to growing industry. The process, executed with GDOT’s assistance. addressed several crossings. Gates and lights were added to five crossings and two crossings were discontinued, city officials said.

"For 10 years, we’ve been working with our local rail operator, Watco, and the Old Fort Line owner CSX, as well as GDOT and FRA with the goal of improving quality of life for our residents and to eventually earn this Quiet Zone designation," said Joseph Shearouse, Savannah’s director of policy and external affairs. "We have more work to be done, but we have reached a huge milestone in this project."