(NEWINGTON, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) today announced that Connecticut has become the first state in New England to utilize automated horn systems, commonly known as wayside horns, installed in at-grade railroad crossings as part of noise mitigation efforts along the CTrail Hartford Line corridor. The horns were put into service on Monday, January 21, 2019, at the Cooper Street crossing, located between Cherry Street and South Colony Street in Meriden. In the coming weeks, wayside horns will be installed at the Pent Highway railroad crossing, located between North Plains Industrial Road and North Colony Road in Wallingford. CTDOT plans to continue the installation of wayside horns at grade crossings along the Hartford Line Rail to reduce noise.
An automated horn system consists of stationary horns mounted on poles at active railroad crossings. The system is designed to direct a consistent audible warning toward the roadway, alerting motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists to an approaching train.
Wayside horns are designed to limit loud warning sounds to a 250-foot perimeter. Outside the 250-foot perimeter, the noise produced by wayside horns is substantially reduced, mitigating noise pollution to nearby residences and businesses. Wayside horns take the place of train-mounted horns, which are typically activated, and can be heard, from distances as far as a half-mile from a rail crossing.
“The installation of wayside horns is part of CTDOT’s obligation to reduce noise associated with the Hartford Line rail service and to improve the quality of life for communities along the corridor,” said Richard Andreski, CTDOT’s Public Transportation Bureau Chief. “We recognize the benefits the new system brings and look forward to installing additional systems in the near future.”
The 2012 Environmental Assessment prepared for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program requires noise associated with the enhanced Hartford Line rail service to be mitigated near “sensitive noise receptors” such as residential neighborhoods, educational institutions, and recreational areas.
The diagram below illustrates the substantial difference in how far noise can be heard from train mounted-horns versus wayside horns (referred to as “Automated Horn System”).
For more information on the New Haven – Hartford – Springfield (NHHS) Rail Program and to receive email updates, please visit www.nhhsrail.com.
For questions regarding the wayside horn installations, contact Judd Everhart, CTDOT Director of Communications, at (860) 594-3062 or judd.everhart@ct.gov.
About the Hartford Line: The new rail service features 17 weekday round trips between New Haven and Hartford, with 12 of these trips continuing north, terminating at Union Station in Springfield, MA. Trains operate at speeds up to 110 MPH, with a travel time between New Haven and Springfield of approximately 81 minutes. Hartford Line service provides direct or connecting service to New York City, Boston, and Vermont. Ticketing and other information available at www.hartfordline.com.
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