Train talk coming back to city hall as Walkerville residents continue horn complaints

When Windsor, Ont.’s Environment, Transportation, and Public Safety Standing Committee meets next Wednesday, they’ll revisit the conversation around train horns keeping Walkerville residents up at night.

Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie flagged the issue at a council meeting in January, asking if there was a way trains could be silenced between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

“A lot of people started calling me and I realized that wow, this was a bigger issue than I first thought,” McKenzie said.

He said a report from city staff has determined horns can’t go completely quiet – particularly at crossings where there are no lowering arms or flashing signals.

Protecting those Walkerville crossings would come with an estimated cost of about $3 million.

In 2022, the federal government had been accepting applications for funding under Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Plan, but Windsor missed the boat on putting in for that.

Still, McKenzie said he’s been trying to find a way to get Ottawa to chip in.

Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie said a committee will discuss if and how to proceed with efforts to silence trains overnight in Walkerville. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

“I’ve spoken to MP Irek Kusmierczyk’s office, as well as the transportation minister Omar Alghabra and they’ve said that they’re going to try and see if maybe they can find some more funds,” he said.

CTV News reached out to Essex Terminal Railway for comment but no one was available to speak on the matter Wednesday.

Walkerville Residents Jim and Karen Carr said they know some have been complaining, but after living by the tracks for 38 years, they aren’t as upset.

“The noise don’t bother me at all,” said Jim. “Doesn’t interfere with TV or nothing.”

The couple, however, said they’ve noticed an increase in train traffic, saying they sometimes notice them rolling through the neighbourhood around 1:00 a.m., when they used to only hear them during the day.

“I just ignore it because it’s life,” Karen said.

McKenzie said next Wednesday’s committee meeting will discuss the feasibility of putting up taxpayer money to upgrade the crossings, which would then allow trains to roll through without honking.

He said they’ll also talk about whether or not to keep pushing the federal government for cash.

“I’m discouraged,” McKenzie said. “I am, but at the same time we’re moving forward. I’m not stopping.”

The Environment, Transportation, and Public Safety Standing Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29.