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<br /> <br />New Quiet Zones may be created if– <br /> <br />All public highway-rail grade crossings are equipped with flashing lights and <br />gates; and either– <br /> <br />T After adjusting for excess risk created by silencing the train horn, the <br />average risk at the crossings is less than the NSRT; or <br /> <br />T Supplemental Safety Measures are present at each public crossing; or <br /> <br />T Safety improvements are made that compensate for loss of the train horn <br />as a warning device (or at least to reduce average risk to below the <br />NSRT). <br /> <br />Detailed instructions for establishing or requesting recognition of a quiet zone <br />are provided in the regulation. <br /> <br /> <br />4. Length of quiet zones: <br /> <br />$ Generally, a quiet zone must be at least ½ mile in length and may include one or more <br />highway-rail grade crossings. <br /> <br />$ Pre-Rule Quiet Zones may be retained at the length that existed as of October 9, 1996, <br />even if less than ½ mile. A Pre-Rule Quiet Zone that is greater than ½ mile may be <br />reduced in length to no less than ½ mile and retain its pre-rule status. However, if its <br />length is increased from pre-rule length by the addition of highway-rail grade crossings <br />that are not pre-rule quiet zone crossings, pre-rule status will not be retained. <br /> <br />5. Supplementary and alternative safety measures: <br /> <br />$ Supplementary safety measures are engineering improvements that clearly compensate <br />for the absence of the train horn. If employed at every highway-rail grade crossing in the <br />quiet zone, they automatically qualify the quiet zone (subject to reporting requirements). <br />They also may be used to reduce the average risk in the corridor in order to fully <br />compensate for the lack of a train or to below the NSRT. <br /> <br />T Temporary closure used with a partial zone; <br />T Permanent closure of a highway-rail grade crossing; <br /> T Four-quadrant gates; <br /> <br /> <br />Disclaimer: This is a summary of the Final Rule for initial briefing purposes only. Entities subject to the rule <br />should refer to the rule text as published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2005. <br />The "Train Horn" Final Rule Summary <br />Quiet Zone Evaluation <br />New Brighton, Minnesota <br />B6 Spack Consulting