What is a railroad Quiet Zone?

A railroad Quiet Zone is defined by the Federal Railroad Administration as a section of railroad where a train has been granted relief from the Federal regulations for horn use.

No city or state law or ordinance can preempt the Federal law requiring that a train use its horn at a railroad crossing. If a city or state agency want to establish a Quiet Zone, Federal law requires that upgrades or changes are made so that lack of the horn does not make the crossing less safe than is determined with horn use.

The Federal regulations that describe mandatory use of train horns and identify how to develop a Quiet Zone are covered in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.