Downtown Railroad Quiet Zone

Downtown Railroad Quiet Zone

Published on February 23, 2026

The City of Waco is moving forward with a project to establish a railroad quiet zone in the downtown area. This initiative will stop routine train horn blasts along a 1.5-mile stretch of track. Once finished, engineers will only sound their horns in emergencies or if maintenance crews are working nearby rather than at every street crossing.

Once complete, the quiet zone will improve the quality of life for people who live in, work in, and visit downtown.

Project Timeline and Construction

On Tuesday, January 20, the Waco City Council awarded a $10.76 million contract to TTG Utilities Inc. for reconstruction work at several Union Pacific Railroad crossings. These include:

• Peach Street
• University Parks Drive
• Second Street
• Third Street
• Fourth Street
• Fifth Street
• Sixth Street
• Eighth Street
• 11th Street
• 13th Street

Construction is scheduled to begin in March. To meet Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) standards for a quiet zone, the city will install various safety features. The work includes:

• Raised concrete medians and fencing to prevent vehicles and pedestrians from crossing tracks when a train is near.
• Updated warning lights and gate arms.
• New sidewalks, curb ramps, signs, and pavement striping.
• Improvements to city infrastructure, such as waterlines, wastewater lines, and storm drains near the tracks.

TTG Utilities Inc. expects to finish the construction by December 2027.

Safety and Federal Approval

Safety remains the top priority for this project. All downtown crossings currently meet federal safety rules. Under current rules, trains must travel no faster than 10 miles per hour through downtown and must sound their horns at every crossing. Because the street crossings are located so close together, the train sounds its horn almost continuously as it travels through downtown.

To remove the horn requirement, the City and Union Pacific Railroad will install extra safety measures that prove the crossings are secure without the noise. After construction is complete, the FRA will inspect the work. If the work meets all federal requirements, the FRA will publish an official notice. The quiet zone will go into effect 21 days after that notice. The entire process is estimated to be complete in 2028.

Project Funding

The total contract for this phase of work is $10.76 million. Approximately $4.6 million of that total is dedicated to upgrading water, sewer, and stormwater pipes located near the crossings.

The city is paying for this work using several sources:

• Bond proceeds from fiscal year 2020 wastewater bonds.
• Bond proceeds from fiscal year 2025 water system bonds.
• Other city bonds and impact fees.

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