Train engineers can now honk less at stopped crossings

The US railroad regulator is proposing to relax rules for how train engineers must sound their horns. Instead of a specific four-blast pattern, engineers could use a single blast when a train is stopped near a crossing.

For decades, train engineers had to follow a strict horn-sounding pattern at every public crossing, even when stopped. This rule change means engineers will have more discretion in situations where the full four-blast pattern might be excessive or unnecessary. It could reduce noise pollution for communities near busy rail lines.