BRUNSWICK

More train activity in Brunswick means more noise in the middle of the night, upsetting neighbors who live near the Downeaster’s terminus. Now, the town is taking another look at establishing a quiet zone to silence the passenger train’s horn.

Train 689 arrives in town between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. It has been operating to Brunswick every night since Aug. 19 to accommodate the rotation of Amtrak’s Great Dome Car, according to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority. The car, a 1950s-era passenger coach, gives passengers an elevated view of New England’s foliage.

“This schedule will be in place until Sept. 24, then the late night train will operate to Brunswick on Friday and Saturday nights only through spring at least,” NNEPRA Executive Director Patricia Quinn wrote to the town of Brunswick.

The noise is not associated with a layover facility located off Church Road that abuts the Bouchard Drive neighborhood, according to Quinn. The facility opened in late 2016 to house trains overnight and provide basic maintenance.

However, residents have complained that horns have been sounding in that area as late as 3 a.m. recently.

Charlie Wallace told the town council on Aug. 21 that he and two other residents filed a complaint with the code enforcement office that the layover facility was violating nighttime noise standards.

In her response to the council, Quinn said that the noise comes associated with the train operations and could be eliminated with a quiet zone.

“(T)he quiet zone will alleviate the need to use horns at those crossings if it can be implemented,” Quinn wrote.

Train operators are required to sound their horns when approaching a crossing. In quiet zones, operators may not sound their horns with the exception of emergencies.

Freeport’s council enacted a quiet zone for that town’s eight crossings in 2013.

However, past attempts at establishing a quiet zone in Brunswick have failed.

The town attempted to establish a quiet zone at Union and Stanwood streets in December 2012. The zone lasted for two days because Pan Am Railways — which operates a freight line — objected to the data used in creating the designation.

On Tuesday, Town Manager John Eldridge said the town is again looking at establishing quiet zones, “and to do that we’ve engaged a consulting engineer.”

Councilor Jane Millett on Aug. 21 placed the blame on the operators.

“Whoever the conductor is on various nights, some of them are very aggressive with their horns and with the location of their horns,” Millett said. “When they are between the neighborhood and layover facility, the noise bounces off that huge building and echoes through the neighborhood, so that’s one issue.”

She said she’s heard from more than one person that the horn blowing “seems to be vindictive.”

Given that establishing a quiet zone would cost “thousands and thousands of dollars at every intersection,” Millett said she doesn’t want to engage a consulting engineer if the problem can be solved another way.

Amtrak needs to come meet with the council and talk to citizens, she said.

Eldridge on Tuesday said he is seeking a meeting to discuss noise mitigation with NNEPRA, Amtrak, Central Maine and Quebec, Pan Am Railways, the Maine Department of Transportation and the Federal Rail Authority.

dmoore@timesrecord.com