Durbin Welcomes Temporary Government Exemption for Chicagoland Area Train Whistle Rule

DURBIN WELCOMES TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT EXEMPTION FOR CHICAGOLAND AREA TRAIN WHISTLE RULE

Hopes for Lasting Solution that Balances Safety and Quality of Life

Following the release of the train whistle rule by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today said that his top priority remains finding a solution that would balance safety and quality of life for the people of Illinois.

In the final rule, FRA announced that it is exempting the Chicagoland region from the rule pending "an independent peer review." The report states: "Pending completion of this Chicago Region re-analysis, FRA is excepting existing Chicago Region no whistle crossings from the requirement to sound the train horn. It is FRA's intention to leave those crossings-and those crossings alone-subject to existing Illinois State Law pending further rulemaking. Existing no-whistle excusals will stand, and railroads will remain free to sound the horn where they elect to do so (as is the case today)."

"Our state is a leader in promoting and implementing techniques to improve railroad crossing safety and the federal government has recognized Chicagoland's efforts to create its own special safety rule," Durbin said. "I have seen firsthand how suburban communities have undertaken aggressive efforts to protect their residents while working to maintain the quality of life in their towns. I am confident that we can succeed in crafting a solution that fits the special needs of our region."

Illinois communities have invested significantly in rail-grade crossing safety infrastructure and have received more than $1 million in federal funds under the Public Education and Enforcement Research Study (PEERS) program. PEERS, a program championed by Durbin in the Senate was developed in 2000 with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), is designed to increase awareness of and participation in already existing crossing-safety efforts and to help communities identify state and federal resources available to improve crossing safety.

Durbin has held public forums across Illinois on the prospect of the federal government implementing a rule for train whistles and rail-grade crossing and was a critic of the 2000 FRA whistle ban rule. The rule failed to take into account the fact that Illinois, one of the most affected states, was already addressing safety concerns.

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=236860&&