Why are train horns so loud?

Its primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to an oncoming train, especially when approaching a level crossing. They are often extremely loud, allowing them to be heard from great distances. They are also used for acknowledging signals given by railroad employees, such as during switching operations.



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Roughness and irregularities on the wheel and rail surfaces are a source of noise and vibration. Rail joints and squats on the rail cause a familiar clickety-clack sound as train wheels roll over them.

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If you hear, two small horns, it means the motorman is asking the guard to direct the railway signal to start the train. In case you hear three smaller horns, it suggests that the motorman has lost control over the train. This also acts as a signal to pull the vacuum break immediately. This signal is rarely heard.

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With a quiet background (countryside night time) 6–8 miles. Suburban, 2–3 miles. Loud city, 1 mile if you're listening for it.

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Guests are asked to limit conversation and speak in subdued tones. Phone calls are not allowed and all portable electronic devices must be muted or used with headphones (passengers using headphones must keep the volume low enough so that the audio cannot be heard by other passengers).

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The maximum legal decibel level for a car horn on a passenger vehicle is 100-110. A train horn has a decibel level of 130-150.

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Broadly speaking these trains are no worse than the noise from a highway and generally more acceptable in that the noise is not continuous, whereas the noise from a highway is a constant buzz throughout the day and often throughout the night as well.

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In one study conducted at the BNSF Railway Hobart Railyard in Los Angeles, the California Environmental Protection Agency estimated that residents living near a railyard experienced a higher risk of carcinogen exposure.

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Earplugs: Wearing earplugs can combat the train noise and help you sleep through the night. White noise: A white noise machine or app will provide a constant low-level background noise that can help you sleep through occasional train whistles.

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By the time a train operator sees you, it is too late to stop the train in time. An oncoming train is moving faster and is closer to you than it appears. Similar to an airplane traveling at 150 mph that appears to float onto the runway, it's hard to determine a train's speed and distance from you.

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Does the Train Conductor Sleep on the Train? In a word, no. Neither the conductor nor the engineer is allowed to sleep on the train. They must be awake and alert throughout their entire shift.

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It depends on what you're eating. Discrete, low key snacking is fine as long as you clean up after yourself and leave no trace that your food was ever there. But eating something messy and smelly is probably a bit much. No not rude at all, but be aware of your travel companions and if your food smells bad to them.

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“People assume that trains are loud, but that assumption is based on the fact that when a train's gone past them in a station it's noisy. That's because the noise a train makes is mainly projected to either side. When trains are moving directly towards you they are barely audible–until it's too late.”

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Anyway, don't blame the engineer: They're required to blow that horn. The regulation in question is called the Final Rule on the Use of Locomotive Horns—a name that strongly implies they've had just about enough of your bitching—and it requires four blasts 15 to 20 seconds before every crossing.

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Only crossings that have met Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) criteria for a Quiet Zone do not require the horn to be sounded. A train may also sound its horn when: a vehicle, person or animal is on or near the track and the crew determines it is appropriate to provide warning.

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Train Horn Requirements Under the Train Horn Rule (49 CFR Part 222, issued on August 17, 2006), locomotive engineers must begin to sound train horns at least 15 seconds, and no more than 20 seconds, in advance of all public grade crossings.

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