Lake County Gazette

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has lifted the suspension on the Lake County Quiet Zone, allowing for an end to routine train horn soundings in the Village of Mundelein.

Despite this development, residents may still occasionally hear train horns. According to a press release from the Village of Mundelein, train engineers retain the discretion to sound their horns for safety purposes.

In another press release, the Village of Mundelein announced that the FRA had informed communities within the Lake County Quiet Zone about compliance with new federal quiet zone regulations. This notification led to the lifting of the quiet zone suspension.

The Lake County Quiet Zone encompasses 59 rail crossings from Wheeling to Antioch, as per a third press release from the Village of Mundelein. Inspections revealed that 45 crossings along the CN/Metra rail line across ten communities required improvements. These included thirteen median upgrades, twenty-seven signage needs and five speed waivers. The temporary quiet zone suspension came into effect on October 11.

Communities began immediate work on these improvements, according to yet another press release from the Village of Mundelein. The FRA treats the quiet zone as a single entity; hence, until all improvements were made, trains sounded horns at crossings in all communities within it. A reinspection by the FRA ensured compliance and subsequently led to an end to the suspension.