RR "Quiet Zones" approved in Sussex

Village of Sussex - Canadian Northern Railway train whistles will be silenced in the Village of Sussex in  the "very, very near future," according to Village Trustee Tim Dietrich.

Dietrich said the Federal Railway Administration has informed him that the village's application to establish railway quiet zones along the north and south bound Canadian Northern route has been approved.

Dietrich said the railway administration also approved the improvements  proposed by the village at the rail crossings at Silver Spring Road, Main Street, Good Hope Road and Plainview Road.
 

The improvements will include construction of median strips approaching the crossings that will prevent vehicles from driving around railroad crossing gates when they are lowered with the approach of on coming trains.

Because of the safety improvements, Canadian Northern officials will be required to instruct train engineers not to blow whistles as they past through Sussex in except in cases of emergency.

Federal authoriteis will issue those instructions three weeks after they are notified by the village officials that the improvements are completed. Dietrich said because of the favorable weather, he anticipated the crossing improvements would be completed "very, very soon" and the quiet zones would begin in the "very, very near future."