FILING A COMPLAINT - INFORMATION AND PROCESS

Q: What qualifies as a train horn complaint and who enforces this rule?

A: If the horn is sounded in excess of 15 to 20 seconds and/or there is no discernible pattern it may qualify as a complaint. Remember, if there are multiple crossings the engineer can vary the pattern and the length of time the horn is sounded.

All railroads are responsible for adhering to this and all federal regulations.

Railroad operating managers audit employee horn use on a regular basis. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) also audits for compliance.

Q: When should I complain?

A: Only qualified railroad personnel or federal inspectors know when the horn is not being sounded correctly. However, if you feel you have a valid complaint, report it immediately. Complaints must be filed within 12 hours. It may be necessary for the railroad to retrieve on-board data from the locomotive "event recorder" and interview the train crew.

Q: How do I file a complaint?

A: All complaints should be submitted to the City Council District 2 office for review.

They can be emailed to [email protected]  which then forwards the complaint directly to the Council Office.  For the quickest and easiest method of filing go to the Incident Report page.

Complaints should include the following information needed by the railroad and the FRA to investigate appropriately:

• Your Name
• Address and Building Name
• Contact information phone/email
• Date and Time of complaint
• Description of complaint
• Identity of train: BNSF, Coaster, Amtrak

Q: What happens to my complaint?

A: Each complaint will be entered into a spreadsheet maintained by Council District 2 for tracking purposes. This spreadsheet will be forwarded to the railroad and FRA for review. Council District 2 will work with the railroads and the FRA to ensure a proper response. The spreadsheet will not list any persona! information, however the nature or the complaint will be provided to the railroad and the FRA.

IMPORTANT TRAIN SAFETY NOTES:

Safety First

Do not enter the railroad right-or-way to obtain any information on trains.  Trespassing is illegal and dangerous. Only use designated pedestrian or highway-rail crossings.

Locomotive engineers are highly trained professionals and are doing the job they are paid to do. Safety is one of the core values within the railroad industry.  All railroad employees bear a great responsibility for safety of the public and their fellow employees. Do not attempt to contact the engineer. Do not throw objects at any part of the locomotive or train.

§219.2. Every person who willfully throws, hurls, or projects a stone or other hard substance, or shoots a missile, at a train, locomotive, railway car, caboose, cable railway car, street railway car, or bus or at a steam vessel or watercraft used for carrying passengers or freight on any of the waters within or bordering on this state, is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or in a state prison, or by fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

IMPORTANT CONTACTS:

July 17,2006