How the new ‘quiet zone’ came to be

by CHRIS METZ

 

In 2007, the Forney City Council had discussed the possibility of implementing a railroad “quiet zone” near Historic Downtown Forney. Fast-forward nine years and it’s almost complete, but what exactly is a “quiet zone”? A “quiet zone” is a defined stretch of railway where railroads have been instructed to cease the routine sounding of air-horns when approaching public highway-rail grade crossings. However, train horns may still be used in emergency situations at the discretion of the engineer in an emergency, for instance if the railroad gate arms malfunction.