Beginning Friday, September 22nd – Railroad Quiet Zones will take effect at certain locations in Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids.
The cities of Hiawatha, Iowa and Cedar Rapids, Iowa will jointly establish a new railroad quiet zone on the Chicago, Central, and Pacific Railroad (operated by Canadian National). A quiet zone is a public rail crossing or group of crossings where trains do not routinely use horns. This is the first railroad quiet zone in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor.
Beginning Friday September 22nd, 2023, railroad trains will no longer routinely utilize train horns when approaching crossings located at Blairs Ferry Road, Emmons Street, Center Point Road, and the Cedar Valley Nature Trail (see the map attached). Additional signs warning “No Train Horn” will be posted at each crossing.
The cities have been working since 2018 to complete safety improvement projects at these crossings to comply with federal quiet zone regulations. Although train horns will not be routinely used, train operators are still required to use horns for starting and stopping, during power outages, during emergencies, or for a perceived safety risk.
For more information and resources regarding railroad quiet zones, please visit the Federal Railroad Administration’s website at: https://railroads.dot.gov/railroad-safety/divisions/highway-rail-crossing-and-trespasser-programs/train-horn-rulequiet-zones.