Columbus Looking Into Creating A Train 'Quiet Zone'

A southern Indiana city is looking into what it would take to create a train 'quiet zone' throughout its downtown corridor.

Train traffic follows many federal regulations to ensure safety. But Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop says a horn wail at 3 in the morning comes at a cost to residents and visitors.

"I mean the Hotel Indigo here is right next to the tracks and even today we have anecdotal information that indicates that if you book a room there, you want to be on the east side of the hotel," Lienhoop says.

The city is looking at enhancing the safety guidelines of four downtown crossings in order to eliminate the train horn requirement.

The city hired a consultant to look at the regulatory framework at the State Road 46, Fifth, Eigth and 11th Street crossings.

"They say if you want this, this is what you have to do and then we’ll have to make a determination to whether or not it’s worth it," Lienhoop says.

Lienhoop says the city expects the upgrades to cost nearly $800,000.