FREEPORT
The Downeaster passenger train soon will become a lot quieter for people living along the tracks in Freeport.
The Freeport Town Council voted Wednesday to enact a quiet zone for the town’s eight railroad crossings beginning Aug. 9. That means the Amtrak train will no longer sound its whistles and horns as it passes through town.
Residents who live near the track have complained about the noise since the Downeaster extended its service north of Portland to Freeport and Brunswick last November.
Councilors enacted the noise ban following a Maine Department of Transportation study showing there are fewer vehicles crossing the tracks than previously thought.
All the crossings have gates that go down when trains are approaching.
Councilors voted July 16 to submit paperwork to the Federal Railroad Administration that it intends to establish quiet zones.
The council also voted to create a subcommittee to work with the Town Manager Peter Joseph and the town engineer to evaluate and recommend which supplemental safety measures will be installed at each of the eight “at grade” crossings in town.
“The recommended measures will be evaluated by the council for possible installation in the future,” Joseph said.
That’s fine with Amanda Klein, Kelly Fitz-Randolph and others who find the Downeaster’s horn disturbing.
Klein told the council she lost a tenant due to the noise.
“It’s extremely disruptive,” she said. “I have not been able to rent the apartment since.”
Klein, who lives on Fore Street, also said that the whistle awakens her two children, first at 6:30 a.m. and later at 8:30 p.m.
“I was hoping my family would get used to it,” she said, “and that’s not the case.”
Fitz-Randolph said she has been attending quiet zone meetings for two years.
“That horn is loud, and it’s not something we’re getting used to,” she said. “It’s not like the horns from the freight train. It’s really disruptive.”
The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less