Union Pacific Warm Springs Corridor Quiet Zone

BACKGROUND

The Warm Springs railroad corridor runs through the heart of San José, connecting to Diridon Station at its southern end and Montague Expressway at the northern city limit. The railroad travels through a number of residential areas, including Japantown and Hensley neighborhoods. In 2018, Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), the owner and operator of this corridor, adopted a new operating plan. The new plan increased the frequency of trains operating at night. As required by federal law, UPRR trains blow their horns as they approach the at-grade street crossings regardless of the time of day. But the law also allows cities to mitigate the effects of the train horn noise by establishing "quiet zones." These zones silence train horns at crossings during quiet zone hours.

Project Description

The City intends to designate a Partial Quiet Zone, which would silence train horns at crossings from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Train horn operators will still be required by federal law to sound train horns whenever they view hazards, for example, pedestrians walking along or across the railroad corridor when a train is approaching.

Timeline

March and April 2022: City crews constructed the temporary design at the intersection of N. Seventh and Jackson streets and installed new signs and markings at other street crossings along the rail corridor.
December 2021: The Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) began installation of track panels at the intersection of N. Seventh and Jackson streets.
September 2021: UPRR and the California Public Utilities Commission approved of the phase 1 design.
July 2020: JMA completed a report, which is available for public review and can also be found in the "Resources" section.
- The report states that the City may establish a quiet zone on this segment after issuing notices to specific stakeholders (including Caltrans, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Federal Railroad Administration, and Union Pacific Railroad Company).
June 2019: The City commissioned a consultant, JMA Civil, Inc. to investigate the potential for a quiet zone on the Warm Springs corridor from N. Montgomery Street in the south to Horning Street in the north.