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0 <br />U. &Depwhmnt <br />ofTrenepodokon <br />Pothered Railroad <br />Administration <br />NOV -6 20g, <br />'Ile Honorable Al Frank= <br />United states Senator <br />60 Plato Boulevard Rest, Suite220 <br />St. Paul,h1N 55107 <br />AdmMNto w <br />1200 New luau Ann% 51 <br />• W.shlnote4DC20590 <br />Dear Se atorFrenken: <br />The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has complete( its investigation of railroad <br />noise, diesel exhaust, and other issues nights from the Canadian Panto Railway (CP) <br />operations at CardiganJunction in Shoreview, Mburesota. Our findings are summarized <br />below. ' <br />• <br />The FRA's investigation found normal horn sounding noise front ths audible device <br />of <br />(train horn) used to indicate tho starting/stopping of operations. The primary <br />mechanical noise was the slack noise that resulted front switching operations.. An FRA <br />industrial hygienist conducted noise sampling to collect some information, °vat Though <br />tho she criteria designated in the regulations could not be mot. Samples for pass by and <br />car coupling operations were found to be in compliance. <br />State law generally governs locomotive horn sounding at private crossings that are rare <br />thenonequertermile from the outermost public crossings in a Federal quiet zone. PRA <br />exercises limited jurisdiction over private crossings within Federal quiet zones in order to <br />koop them fkom being subject to hoer sounding due to State taws that would otherwise <br />require it at these crossings. However, FRA purposefliltv bait States free to requke <br />' locomotive horn sounding at private crossings outside of Federal quiet zones. <br />railroad bridges robe inspected at least once per calendar year in <br />PRA order to ensure regulations that they contbwe to support trains. In this wse, the two CP <br />ordarfoenanathattheycansafely 1� <br />bridges over 1-694 near Cardigan Junction were inspected anApsit26, 2013. Regarding <br />the concern about trains being parked dnthe bridges, the stresses placed on the bridges <br />are actually lower with the train stopped than they would be with the train in motion. <br />1 appreciate your interest in tits matter and look fbrward to working with you on this and <br />other transportation issues of Imporlancc to you and your constituents. if you need <br />30 <br />