Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
- Federal officials approved a waiver for a quiet zone between Salt Lake City and Ogden.
- The waiver allows crossings to remain noncompliant for two years during repairs.
- Residents expressed relief, citing sleep disturbances; some officials stressed ongoing safety concerns.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Wasatch Front train-horn saga appears to finally be over.
The Federal Railroad Administration approved a waiver led by two Utah cities that allows a "quiet zone" to be restored between northern Salt Lake City and Ogden, Woods Cross officials who oversee the zone announced Tuesday evening. It effectively ended a long-standing issue that frustrated many residents who live near railroad crossings.
"We appreciate the concerted efforts of all parties to work towards an amicable solution that quiets the train horns immediately while these remaining two crossings are brought into compliance," Woods Cross administrator Bryce Haderlie said in a statement.
Haderlie says the federal agency was working on a "directive immediately to stop sounding the train horns with the understanding that Salt Lake City is working quickly to close" a crossing at 1000 West. He noted that railroad operators like Utah Transit Authority and Union Pacific "typically have seven days to comply with the (Federal Railroad Administration) directive."
Train operators can still sound their horns in certain circumstances, such as an immediate threat on the tracks, as was the case before the zone was suspended. The agency's decision just ends the automatic use of horns at every crossing in the affected zone during all times of the day.
Salt Lake City Council Chairman Chris Wharton, whose district includes some of the city's impacted neighborhoods, told KSL.com Tuesday night that he's relieved that a resolution has been reached. Both he and Haderlie said the cities had been actively working with state leaders and the state's federal delegation over it, as well as railroad operators.
"It had huge impacts on people's lives, and so getting the quiet zone reinstated is a great victory for us," Wharton said.
The update comes a day after public comment ended on the waiver sought by Salt Lake City and North Salt Lake, which exempts a pair of crossings in the zone that remain out of compliance. The cities requested an exemption of up to two years while crossing repairs continue, but a federal letter Tuesday says the waiver gives the cities one year to make the changes.
There are options to extend the waiver, too; otherwise, the zone could be suspended again. Officials also wrote that the agency "reserves the right to modify or rescind this waiver" if they find violations of the conditions that led them to accept the waiver.
Quiet zones are areas where railroad crossings are safe enough for operators to pass through without using a horn automatically. However, the Wasatch Front's two zones, stretching from Provo to Ogden, were suspended in September 2024 over some striping, signage, curbing and other safety issues brought up earlier in the year.
A zone is only reestablished after all crossings within it are back in compliance. A section from Provo to Salt Lake City was restored earlier this year after changes were made, but restoration of another section — from 200 South in Salt Lake City up through Weber County — had been held up by one crossing in Salt Lake City and another in North Salt Lake.
Federal Railroad Administration officials said the quiet zones could have been reestablished immediately if North Salt Lake and Salt Lake City used flaggers at the two remaining crossings. Salt Lake City officials said in February that the cost and staffing needed around the clock weren't feasible, so the cities joined together on a waiver process to temporarily exempt the crossings while fixes are made.
The measure garnered nearly 200 public comments after it was filed on Jan. 16, including responses from North Salt Lake leaders. In a letter to the agency dated March 10, city officials wrote they had already set aside funding for crossing repairs, but they explained all the changes could only be made by Union Pacific because of the location.
"We are told by representatives of Union Pacific railroad that they have moved up our projects in their schedules, have engaged in plan reviews and expect to move to construction in a matter of weeks or a few short months," the city wrote, adding that they believe the project will be completed within the next six months.
Salt Lake City officials reported a somewhat similar issue with contractors tied to a crossing near 1000 West and South Temple, which city leaders voted to allow for the crossing to be temporarily closed to speed up the quiet zone reinstatement while repairs are made.
UTA executives, along with leaders from other cities in the zone, also voiced their support for the waiver, while many residents and businesses along the line sounded off on their frustrations. Many wrote about how they've been unable to sleep well for months along with other impacts on health, well-being and business operations.
"I get that safety's important, but this is too much. ... I just want to live in my home without losing my mind," wrote Michael Davis, of Salt Lake City.
Clinton Mayor Brandon Stanger wrote that it has become the "most detrimental issue" for residents' mental and physical health since he took office. Layton Mayor Joy Petro acknowledged that safety "remains a top priority," adding there had been "no reportable accidents, injuries or fatalities at these industrial crossings" since the quiet zone was created in 2008.
"We believe this waiver is in the public interest, as it maintains safety while allowing essential improvements to move forward," she added.
