TriMet – Tualatin Train Horn Noise Reduction Project

Early this year, the City of Tualatin, Oregon, Washington County, and the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet), awarded RSS the contract to implement a quiet zone for noise mitigation in Tualatin. With the use of either automated wayside horns or four quadrant gates, trains approaching a railroad crossing will not be required to sound their horn without compromising safety. Tualatin has residential areas along Washington County Commuter Rail’s (WCCR) Westside Express Service (WES) tracks near the road crossings where sounding of locomotive horns is required by the Federal Railroad Authority. The train horn noise has been the source of many complaints from residents in the Tualatin area and by implementing a quiet zone the quality of life for the community will be improved.

RSS is responsible for this $2.8M design-build effort which includes seven public railroad crossings. Four crossings require the installation of automated wayside horns which will be a simulated train horn localized at the crossing and one of those includes adding a pedestrian gate and a new signal bungalow. Three of the crossings require installation of four-quadrant gates with an exit gate management system including presence detection, two of which also require new signal bungalows.

During construction, RSS will maintain the existing signal system for on-going Portland & Western Railroad and TriMet WES operations in the area. The project is to be completed by January of next year.