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Quiet zone derailed
by hefty price tag
Published Saturday, July 25
By Jebb Johnston
Staff Writer
A steep price tag appears to have derailed the request for a railroad quiet zone through Corinth.
Last month, Ward 2 Alderman Bill Plaxico said the city is looking at the possibility of a quiet zone. In an update to the Board of Aldermen this week, however, Projects Coordinator Kim Ratliff said extensive technology upgrades to the rail crossings would be required, with a total cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
After conferring with the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration, Ratliff learned that the crossings on South Parkway, Taylor, Franklin and Fillmore would require upgrades costing $25,000 each to meet the required specifications. Crossings on Madison and Smithbridge Road would require upgrades costing $189,000 each.
The latter two crossings would need a different type of motion detection equipment and a total rework of the crossing circuitry, Ratliff said. It was originally believed that the recent upgrades to the other crossings had put them in line with the specifications for a crossing in a quiet zone.
The upgrades would entail more advanced technology affecting the timing of the raising and lowering of the crossing bars.
Ratliff said the city can get a $50,000 grant to assist with the costs if it closes two or more of the crossings -- an unlikely scenario. The railroad would also contribute. No other funds are available.
No action was taken by the board.
“It seems like to me we’re going to be listening to trains blow,” said Plaxico. It was stated during the previous discussion that some individuals have expressed interest in muting the trains.
Rules for a quiet zone are set by the FRA. Local governments seeking a quiet zone must work with the state transportation authority to assess the risk of collision at each grade crossing. In a quiet zone, engineers retain the discretion to sound the horn if a vehicle or person is seen on the track.
Quiet zone hours can be around the clock or limited to the hours of 10 p.m. until 7 a.m., according to the FRA.
Among Mississippi cities, Vicksburg has a quiet zone, and crossing upgrades are currently being performed in Clinton for the establishment of one.
