The City of Arvada has several railroad tracks that run through the city. These tracks are owned and maintained by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and BNSF Railway. Some tracks operate trains from UPRR, Amtrak and BNSF. The RTD G Line also runs through Arvada, please learn more about this line on the G Line page.
Crossing at Carr and Oberon
Additional train horn use has been present at the train crossing at Carr Street near Oberon Road. The issue has been escalated to Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR).
UPRR has determined that corrosion and signal malfunctions are indicating to train engineers that they should use their horns at this location. UPRR is scheduling additional maintenance and electrical system replacement work to resolve the issue. Timing for this work is still being determined.
In the meantime, UPRR will:
- Coordinate with train engineers
- Reinforce that train horns do not need to be sounded
- Implement slower speeds through this area
Quiet Crossings
Nearly all of the railroad crossings throughout the city are considered "quiet zones". This means that trains do not need to sound their horn at these crossings.
Federal Railroad Administration rules require train horns to be sounded in certain situations. Even within a quiet zone, horns will sound periodically as long as tracks are active. Train engineers must provide warnings for the following:
- vehicle operators on tracks
- animals
- pedestrians
- trespassers
- other train crews or workers on railroad right of way
Quiet zones can also be overridden for ongoing safety issues or if something is causing an interruption to the safety or signal systems in place.
Railroad field managers audit operations through an ongoing field examination process to ensure engineers and conductors comply with all rules. When violations are found, UPRR provides additional training and eventually discipline as needed. UPRR also communicates with Amtrak and BNSF to ensure they are compliant.
Report a horn in a quiet zone by calling 888-877-7267 (UPRR) or 800-832-5452 (BNSF).
Be prepared to share the following information:
- What kind of train (UPRR, BNSF, Amtrak or a car/locomotive number). This information will help address root causes.
- Whether any of the above situations were present requiring a horn.
If you do not have an immediate emergency, you may be sent to a voicemail which will be followed up on shortly.