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By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

up to two dozen times per day

County councillor looking to stop train whistles at crossing north of Red Deer

Oct 19, 2023 | 4:13 PM

A Red Deer County councillor wants to see a cessation to train whistles at a crossing near Blackfalds.

Christine Moore filed a notice of motion at Red Deer County council on Oct. 3, and then council agreed on Oct. 17 to have administration create a report on the pros and cons.

The crossing in question is located at 39235 Calgary C & E Trail, Red Deer County, which is within Councillor Moore’s Division 6.

A map shows the location (52°21’24.0″N 113°49’03.3″W) of a train crossing where a Red Deer County councillor would like to see, or hear, whistle cessation. (Google Maps)

“Railway whistles have been a bit of an issue for several years. I brought this forward a few years ago too and it didn’t go anywhere, but since, communities like Innisfail and Lacombe have been successful in doing this,” says Moore.

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“This is affecting about 40 acreages in the area. Whistles are more and more frequent now, up to two dozen a day, and now we have arms on this and possibly other crossings for added safety.”

Moore says she was asked by at least one local resident to bring this forward.

“Now that we have more densely populated areas, and people are investing a lot of money into homes, if there is a way to reduce noise pollution, I think it’s good for the taxpayer, but we have to follow Canadian Pacific Rail processes,” she adds.

“How loud the whistles can be depends on the zeal of the train driver sometimes too and how long they want to hold it for.”

The report from administration is due back to council by the end of Q4 2023.

READ MORE

• Sept. 2023 — City of Lacombe taking next steps towards train whistle cessation
• July 2019 — Rail crossing improvements could lead to train whistle cessation in Lacombe
• April 2018 — Council seeks to silence train whistles in Lacombe
• Train carrying liquid asphalt derails between Blackfalds and Lacombe
• Lacombe County remembers 2021 train derailment during full-scale emergency exercise