BNSF Railroad Nighttime Operations

Residents near the BNSF railroad tracks south of I-94 have no doubt experienced some unwelcome train/ whistle noise during the late-night hours over the past few months.

The railway segment in question is called the Monticello Subdivision, as it terminates in Monticello to our west. BNSF government/public relations folks have informed the City that Coronavirus-related operational changes have resulted in this route running at night as opposed to during the day as was previously the case. Where the previous schedule was roughly one to three trains per week during daytime hours, the more recent changes have resulted in late night trips, typically multiple times per week. The City does not know how long these changes will last or whether they will be temporary or permanent in nature.

Per federal law, the City does not have jurisdiction over railroads with regard to hours of operation (whether travel or loading/ unloading), so City zoning or noise ordinances are not applicable and cannot be used to control these operations.

The City is studying the issue with regard to “quiet” zones that would limit and/or prevent whistles from blowing in proximity to certain railroad crossings. However, in order to implement quiet zones, the City would be required to invest significant tax dollars in order to improve existing crossings with cross-arms and lights, as well as to pay substantial up-front maintenance costs to BNSF ($400,000 in maintenance costs alone, per crossing, plus equipment/construction costs costs).

While actual costs are not known at this time, the likely total cost for such improvements to meet quiet zone requirements would be in the millions of dollars due to the number of crossings and the required improvements. A major part of the City’s analysis involves whether this would be a wise long-term investment given that BNSF could, at any time in the future (tomorrow, post Coronavirus, later) simply revert to their daytime schedules which generally did not cause noise concerns for residential neighborhoods, thus making the expenditure unnecessary at that time. This is a difficult determination as the City understands the annoyance and inconvenience of such late-night noise in the short term, while looking to avoid a substantial cost to taxpayers that could wind up being largely wasted dollars over the long term.

We understand and sympathize with the noise situation as it relates to nearby residences, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of those homeowners with regard to the complexities of this issue as noted above.

Published in 2020 Fall/Winter City Newsletter.