SEPTA under fire after 3 townships complain of noise from train horns blaring
"We have children who are awakened by these blaring horns. We have individuals who are sleep deprived," one woman said.
DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Residents in Delaware County say since the end of August, they've been subjected to the blaring train horns throughout the day and into the night.
"This is a public health issue, for all of our neighbors. We have children who are awakened by these blaring horns. We have individuals who are sleep deprived," said Rosemary Polomano of Chester Heights.
Last summer, SEPTA restored 3.5 miles of track between Media and Wawa as part of a $200,000,000 project.
Residents in Middletown Township, Aston, and Chester Heights started reporting hearing the horns throughout the night, which were coming from operating trains and the newly constructed Lenni Train Yard.
A Change.org petition has garnered around 200 signatures to establish a quiet zone.
"The last train leaves at 12:43 and the first train starts at 4:45, and in between, we are subjected to the maintenance noise, backfiring of trains, high-level noise from motors," recalled Polomano.
SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said the agency conducted community outreach leading up to the launch to try and address potential issues in an area that hasn't seen service since the mid-80s.
"There's obviously an adjustment issue when you restart a service like this," said Busch, who added that SEPTA wanted to continue to work with the community on these issues.
This week SEPTA adjusted their horn testing. Four of the five trains are tested around 9:30 p.m., but the fifth train doesn't get back in the yard until after 1 a.m., which is when the test takes place.
"But that one test that we still have to do overnight and sounding of horns through those crossings, those are things we are under strict federal guidelines to do, in order to operate service," Busch explained.
Busch stated that establishing quiet zones must come from the municipalities.
Neighbors say SEPTA was not transparent and is in violation of all three townships' local noise ordinances.
"SEPTA never communicated the impact it would have, and nobody could have fathomed it would be this disruptive to the community," said one neighbor in Chester Heights.
"We want to get our sleep back," the neighbor continued. "We think it's great the train is here, but we want to get our sleep back, and we want the quiet hours observed of all three townships this is affecting."
