Railway Concerns

Freight rail lines within the City of Torrance are owned and operated by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad respectively.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks cross through residential areas located just north of the roadway intersection of Madrid Avenue/Torrance Boulevard and continues through the city south of the roadway intersection of Western Avenue/Sepulveda Boulevard. There are nine at-grade crossings in Torrance – including one pedestrian crossing within this area. 

Union Pacific Railroad operates rail lines that run through residential areas along Dominguez Way north of Satori Avenue and extends eastward to the Western Avenue/Torrance Boulevard intersection. This route includes nine at-grade crossings.

The City of Torrance has no authority/jurisdiction over railways or its property which falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), with assistance from the California Public Utilities Commission. However, train operations such as idling locomotives can sometimes contribute significant emissions. In such cases, the Southern California Air Quality Management District will monitor and enforce air quality regulations.

What is a quiet zone?

A Quiet Zone is a designated section of rail line, spanning at least one-half mile, where train horns are not routinely sounded at one or more consecutive public highway-rail grade crossings.

The Federal Railroad Administration permits the silencing of routine horn use at highway-rail crossings if an approved safety system or procedure, has been implemented with appropriate traffic control authority, and is deemed an effective substitute. Los Angeles County has three cities that have implemented rail safety enhancements that provided the cities with the opportunity to establish Quiet Zones:

  • Glendale
  • City of Industry
  • Pomona

Why do we still hear trains in quiet zones?

The establishment of a Quiet Zones does not mean train horns will never be heard. Quiet Zones means that locomotive engineers are not required to routinely sound the horn when approaching crossings. However, there are several situations where a train horn may still be used, including but not limited to:

  • Malfunctioning of crossing warning devices such as lights, gates, and bells
  • Crossing warning devices temporarily out of service for repair, testing, or maintenance
  • Railroad or contract employees are working on or near the tracks
  • A need to alert pedestrians, drivers, trespassers, animals or other train crews
  • Passenger trains using the horn to signal departure
  • The locomotive engineer determining that sounding the horn is necessary to prevent imminent injury, loss of life, or property damage

Additionally, the Quiet Zone does not restrict the use of locomotive bells, which continue to ring as trains pass through crossings as an extra safety measure. Each public crossing within a Quiet Zone must also have fully operational flashing lights, ringing bells, and gates that lower to temporarily block traffic as per federal law mandates that these warning devices function properly at all times.

How to make a railway complaint

There are three channels by which to make a complaint about the railways:

Report a train horn violation

If you believe a train horn has been improperly sounded, you can file a Violation Report with the Federal Railroad Administration, the agency responsible for overseeing railroad operations.

Under federal regulations established by Federal Railroad Administration in 2005, locomotive engineers are required to sound the train horn 15 to 20 seconds before entering a public highway-rail grade crossing when traveling below 45 mph. The rule specifies the required volumes, length, and pattern of the horn. The mandated train horn pattern consists of two long, one short, and one long blast, repeated as necessary until the train fully occupies the crossing. Locomotive engineers may alter this pattern for crossings in close proximity or in emergency situations. 

To report a violation, complete the FRA Alleged Violation Reporting Form. The form requires details such as the location and railroad owner, which you can find by entering the address near the alleged violation into the FRA’s interactive map: https://fragis.fra.dot.gov/GISFRASafety/. The map provides crossing numbers, crossing data, and mileposts. Crossings where train horns are used are marked with yellow dots, and the number next to these dots is the crossing number, which may be required in your report.

When filing the complaint, you will need to provide:

  • Date and time of the incident
  • A description of the alleged violation
  • Your contact information
  • Any additional relevant information
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