Safety improvements being discussed for the West Highland Avenue train crossing in Elgin could allow it to become a “quiet zone.”
The Elgin City Council signed off on an agreement with the Illinois Commerce Commission and the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad last week under which $360,290 in work is to be done at the crossing. It will be paid for by the railroad and through the state’s Grade Crossing Protection Fund, according to City Manager Rick Kozal. The city will not pay any of the cost, he said.
Regulatory authority over railroads in Illinois is overseen by the ICC, which monitors rights-of-way, grade crossing surface conditions and grade crossing signal systems to identify public highway-rail crossings in need of safety improvements, Kozal told the council at its July 9 meeting.
The ICC did an analysis of the West Highland crossing, looking at its physical aspects, including the geometrics of the intersection, train movements, traffic volumes and sight distances, according to city documents.
Currently, the crossing has an older gate and a railroad crossing sign to alert motorists.
After reviewing the data, ICC officials are recommending the installation of new automatic flashing light signals, gates with bells, an event recorder, a remote monitor and constant warning track circuits, according to a report prepared by inspectors.
Receiving final approval for the requested changes could take 18 to 24 months, Kozal said.
Last year five freight trains used the tracks daily, according to the report. The number of freight trains traveling through Elgin and surrounding communities has increased since the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merged to form the CPKC.
The merger, which opened railroad access from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, was completed in April 2023 after receiving U.S. Surface Transportation Board approval. Elgin and other suburbs objected, citing increased noise, safety concerns and the negative impact on emergency responders.
Local resident Jim Miller told the council he has noticed in the last year or so that more trains have stopped in the middle of the crossing, some blocking the intersection for as long as 45 minutes.Things have gotten a little better lately since residents have started complaining to the CPKC.
The railroad is not allowed to block an intersection for more than 20 minutes, he said.
That said, he added that as a lifelong resident he’s seen the situation worse. He lauded the construction already done at the crossing and the recent removal of a lot of trees.
“It totally opened up the (area),” Miller said. Removing the trees has allowed drivers, especially those heading west, to clearly see the railroad crossing, he said.
While there are yellow railroad crossing signs on either side of the tracks on West Highland Avenue, “you couldn’t see the gates until you were at the curb” before the trees were removed, he said.
If you can’t see the yellow sign, you don’t realize the tracks are right there, Miller said.
However, the one drawback of the tree removal is the sound of the freight trains and their horns is louder, he said.
Kozal said the city is working with the Federal Railroad Administration and CPKC to create a quiet zone at the crossing. If approved, train would not be allowed to sound their horns, according to the railroad administration.
To create a quiet zone, additional safety measures must be in put place at a crossing, according to the administration’s website. Those planned for West Highland will help qualify, Kozal said.
Also, the West Highland Avenue crossing would be designated as its own quiet zone, city officials said. Crossings east of the Big Timber commuter stations will be included in a second, larger zone, which is being handled in a separate application, officials said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.