Delta British Columbia - Delta wants something done about the noise before more trains come rumbling through the community.
 
Delta council gave the go ahead last week to submit a grant application to Transport Canada's Rail Safety Improvement Program to undertake a whistle cessation safety evaluation at each of the public grade crossings along the Roberts Bank corridor.
 
A report to council notes the corridor was identified by the Gateway Transportation Collaboration Forum as an area of further study given train volumes are projected to increase.
 
A previous report to council noted a key finding in the Roberts Bank Trade Area Study was that the amount of train crossing time will be almost double from 2015 levels due to increased rail traffic from the Delta Terminal Road and Rail Improvement Program and the proposed Terminal 2 project.
 
It's projected by 2031 there will be 29 trains a day with a train crossing time of 191 minutes each day, which is more than double the current total crossing time of 86 minutes a day.
 
"The increased frequency and length of trains pose a significant impact to the farming families living south of the BC Rail tracks. Two issues in particular have been identified, train whistling and safe emergency access," the reported noted.
 
"The noise from train whistling at each road crossing, especially at night, impacts the quality of life of area residents as the number of trains increase."
 
Delta staff had recommended that in order to provide a suitable remedy, whistle cessation measures, including the implementation of automated gates and lights/bells at each of the crossings, should be undertaken at existing crossings along the corridor, including 112th, 104th, 96th, 88th, and 72nd streets.
 
It was also recommended a new service road be established, parallel to the existing BC Rail tracks, along the 44th Avenue road alignment to provide emergency responders and residents the ability to use the 80th Street overpass as an alternate access.
 
If the grant application to Transport Canada's Rail Safety Improvement Program for the evaluation is approved, the study would cost $30,000, of which Delta would contribute $6,000.
 
This fall, the federal government announced $55 million in funding for the program.
 
Sandor Gyarmati.