Southern Railway teams up with Canadian port, city to examine train-horn usage

Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY), Port Metro Vancouver and the city of New Westminster, British Columbia, recently established a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on further exploring and implementing a process to silence train horns along the city's Queensborough and Mainland corridor.

About $1 million in funding already has been pledged for the initiative, which will be cost-shared equally between the railroad and city. The port also plans to contribute funding.

In August 2012, a Railway Advisory Committee was established to examine the sounding of train horns in New Westminster. As the community has grown, the impact of train noise on livability has increased, SRY, port and city officials said in a joint press release.

"We are very pleased to be participating in this initiative. It is a part of our ongoing efforts to help mitigate the impacts of rail operations on communities in which we live and work," said SRY President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Butzelaar.

The MOU marks a significant milestone in resolving the train-horn issue, and progress is being made on agreements with other railroads in the city, New Westminster officials said. A joint subcommittee has been established to help maintain the initiative's momentum, they added.

As outlined in the MOU, the next steps include defining objectives, assessing viable options, establishing the project's scope and determining the responsibilities of all parties.