I contacted Shoreline East/Amtrak awhile back when these repairs started. There's a federal law that states trains must blow their horns if the tracks are being worked on to alert the workers. OK, fine. My question is, why do they have to be working in the middle of the night? So much for noise ordinances.

This should give you more information. Because of its train schedules, Amtrak restricts the times when work can be done on the tracks.

http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/branford/entry/no_end_in_sight_for_amtrak_noise/

Yes, that's more information. I think we need more residents complaining to Unk. It's nuts to expect us to endure this for three plus more years. 9 pm to 6 am? Crazy. If enough of us complain like New Haven did, them maybe they'll change. Even with windows closed we hear it. And Gustafson's comment? “Maybe after a while you won’t hear it anymore.” What an inconsiderate jerk.

i am trying to talk to an amtrak official and also unk daros next .then i will call rosa delaura.there are provisions in the law to establish quiet zones and sometimes contractors do not have protections under those circumstances.we definitely need more residents to call.where did you find gustafon,i would like to talk to him.i am going to email him anyway.we should not have to suffer as there are compromises which can be made, we are talking about only a few trains.

Excellent! Do you have the DOT contact email? I'll send something, too. Thanks!

Contact information:
Brian.Gustafson@ct.gov

i talked to an amtrak official who promised to help. i also talked to unk daros and he has had a few complaints but not enough to act on.we need more people to complain about noise so they can contact FRA to try and establish a quiet zone.here is an amtrak number i was given for complaints:
1 800 288 1310
also unk's 203.488.8394
it's been quiet this weekend but the work resumes tonight or tomorrow.we will see if it is better.remember this work will be ongoing 3-4 YEARS so get as much support as we can.i am still going to push as hard as i can to garner supprt to help us in this issue,but i am only i person.

i too have been awakened by horns at all hours of the night...and they want this to go on for years???
please people...contact our officials to put an end to this problem.

I put the below on Craig's List. More people see that than See Click Fix. Also, can anyone put a sign up at the train station? Or somewhere downtown?

On CL:

Sick of being woken up at all hours by these train horns?

An Amtrak official has promised to help but needs more complaints. Unk Daros hasn't had enough complaints to act on on this. We need more people to complain about this disruption so they can contact FRA to try and establish a quiet zone. Here are numbers the for complaints:

Amtrak 1-800-288-1310

Unk 203-488-8394

Please note this will be going on until the anticipated completion date of March 2014. That's MARCH 2014!!!!!!!!!
http://newhavenindependent.org/index.php/branford/entry/no_end_in_sight_for_amtrak_noise/

thanks, mary...i will contact mr. daros and lodge my "two cents". ( i am not sure contacting amtrak will get anything done.)
regardless, i will contact and see if any of my neighbors can also lodge a complaint.
thanks again,
cl

letter

Excellent.

A daily pre-recorded update has been established at 203-315-0966, which states hours of operation and what's being done. The phone number of the office at 3 Commercial Parkway is 203-315-0140.

No point in contacting Amtrak, their hands are tied. Contact the regulators and politicians who have the ability and authority to get something done.

Maybe we can record the train whistles and play them at the next RTM meeting?

I seriously doubt the RTM will give a hoot. Maybe those who are affected by it if we're lucky. Sorry to be a cynic but Branford has an as-long-as-it's-not-in-my-backyard mentality.

As for the politicians, I have no faith.

When is the next RTM meeting? I live right next to the tracks in New Haven, and it earlier than 5:30. I was up at 4:30 this morning. I can record it, I am sure the decibels are off the charts. In addition, it isn't only the horns but a vazula sounding device in tandem with the horns. I would be pleased to file a complaint. If this all for upgrading the tracks for a high speed train then great, but in the meantime there needs to be an effort to minimize noise while providing safety for the workers.

This is also a problem in New Haven, does anyone have information on who to contact in New Haven? Thank you.

I think you could try your alderman or even the mayor. Read through this thread for contacts at Amtrak. Keep us posted.

I hear the whistles all the time too, i guess i don't mind as much as others because i'd rather the work be finished sooner rather than later and i recognize the value of having reliable train service.

I agree. I do think we already have reliable service, and I really hope all this work is for high speed rail, which would be fantastic! It would be great though if the vazula sounding device weren't always in tandem with the train horn. I am pleased to report that I wrote to Mr. Gustafuson, who promptly wrote me back and gave me some contact information for New Haven. I will follow up tomorrow, and report back. I also plan to call the number for Unk.

It is important to get as many affected people to make these calls or i guarantee nothing will be done..Also a contact to Congresswoman Rosa Delauro may help come to a solution.
She has helped many in the past. Remember this is a 3-4 year project.If sleep is important to you please add yourself to the list.

http://delauro.house.gov/contact.cfm

to modulated...i hope that you understand that this work is going on for 3 to 4 years. and yes, reliable service is important. but so is sleep.
and to all else....
we NEED to contact everyone poosible to alleviate this noise.
thank you, rich, for all the info.

Maybe we are using the wrong tactics....if one person can create a huge hullaballoo using the Americans with Disabilities Act, while train whistles that distrub dozens of people don't affect "enough" folks, maybe we need someone who suffers from a disability that is aggravated by the late-night / early morning train whistles to bring a cause of action under that law?

I just realized, we might not get much help from Unk here....isn't the ($72.6 million) widening of the Route 1 bridge one of his pet projects?

perhaps rose delauro is the one to contact.

Should have took into consideration when you moved there that you live next to a busy road and RR tracks. They have to blow the horns so they don't kill the RR workers. Close your windows and go to sleep and stop whining. I have camped next to RR tracks many times traveling the country and never had problems sleeping and thats not even a house.

directed to "person"...
i guess you don't live near the tracks.....and camping next to them is quite different from living near them. we are awakened almost every night by loud horns and jackhammering that actually shakes our house. and we live about a quarter of a mile away.
so please do not accuse us all of "whining". our sleep is very important to us.

Well "person", I guess this isn't your problem then, is it? So why don't you go away.

Or do you really like trolling SeeClickFix to post derogatory comments?

Isn't "the greatest good for the greatest number" part of the Democrats' new motto? If so, good luck, they will just blow you off, sorry to say (pun intended). I hear the train whistles all the time as well and it frustrates me too; it is becoming a metaphor for politics overall, it seems. The politicians want what they want, and who cares about the public.

My daughter says that it is rare that something is so bad that you cannot turn it into a funny story......

Thanks for reporting this.(New to this site.) Of late it seems to have abated, but even 1/2 mile from the tracks where I live, I am still occasionally woken by the honking. If a private citizen made such a racket for such an extended period the response would surely be different.