Train survey gaining steam with residents, nearing 1,000 respondents

The city of Republic’s effort to gauge public opinion via a survey on the issue of train noise in the city seems to be paying off. Although only 24 people attended a community input session hosted by the city, a whopping 980 surveys online have been completed. Additionally, 200 comment responses from online media were considered. Complaints recently arose regarding the frequency of trains and train noise inside city limits. There are approximately 40-50 trains that roll through Republic on a daily basis, per Republic Information Officer Mike Landis. Unfortunately for residents, the trend of more train traffic and their accompanying horn noise has not only increased in recent years, but is anticipated to increase more in the future. The Federal Railroad Administration mandates that all locomotives start sounding their horn 25 to 15 seconds before a road intersection, four times (two longs, one short and then one final long until the road is cleared). At 40 trains per day, that is 160 horn blasts per day—for each crossing. Counting the six crossings in the middle of Republic alone, that’s 960 train horn blasts per day, and night. And they’re no small blasts either. A train horn sounds around 110 decibels, while a rock concert is about 125 decibels. Although there are no quick fixes to the problem, one option to help the situation might be to establish quiet zones. Quiet zones are areas where horns can’t be blown, other than for emergencies. There is even signage in place to remind the engineer of the restriction. To make this happen, the city must apply for a federal exemption, which may mean the city would have to pay for upgrades to the crossings to ensure safety. This includes flashing lights, gates, bells and other safety measures. However, all Republic crossings, of which there are 10, already have most of the required upgrades, so the financial burden wouldn’t be as great. Several other area towns already have quiet zones in place, so this isn’t uncharted water. Those towns include Aurora, Branson, Mansfield, Neosho, Seymour and Springfield. The city’s survey results will likely decide their next move forward in the matter.