FORNEY, Texas — The City of Forney altered its Quiet Zone without formal notification and approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, prompting the Union Pacific Railroad to sound its horns through the downtown Forney corridor.
FORNEY, Texas — The City of Forney altered its Quiet Zone without formal notification and approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, prompting the Union Pacific Railroad to sound its horns through the downtown Forney corridor.
Its been nearly four years since downtown Forney residents, business owners, and patrons have heard the regular sounding of the train horns as approximately two dozen trains pass through the city each day.
The establishment of the quiet zone —an area in which trains cannot sound their warning horn unless of an emergency— had been in the works for nearly a decade before its establishment in late 2016.
The City of Forney acknowledged an issue with the Quiet Zone in a Facebook post last Friday, stating, "We have received some inquiries regarding train horns in the downtown area. The city is aware of this matter and is working with Union Pacific Railroad in order to have the 'quiet zone' designation reestablished."
The Quiet Zone (QZ) has not been terminated but, Union Pacific Railroad had "decided to sound the horn because the QZ has not been maintained as originally approved by the Federal Administration (FRA) under 49 CFR Part 222," a Federal Railroad Administration spokesperson told inForney.com.
"The City of Forney allowed a restaurant chain to install a commercial drive within 60 feet of a crossing and, as a result, altered the QZ without formally notifying FRA as required by the governing regulations," the spokesperson told inForney.com.
The City of Forney is working to revise its Quiet Zone application with the Federal Railroad Administration for approval.
Its unclear how long this process will take or if the City of Forney will be required to undergo an additional 21-day notice of establishment period, which was done when the Quiet Zone was initially established, if and upon approval or altercation to the zone boundaries.
