Photo: KTW file

The City of Kamloops is embarking on a series of rail crossing improvements along Lorne Street aiming to stop train whistles.

The City of Kamloops is embarking on a series of improvements at rail crossings along Lorne Street, aiming to stop frequent train whistles that have bugged nearby residents for years.

In a news release, the city said the Lorne Street Rail Safety Project will start in May, and is expected to be complete this fall. If all requirements are met, it’s expected the whistles will cease in that corridor during that time.

“These changes will include safety measures for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to support the future cessation of train whistles,” the city said.

The city said an increase in rail traffic has resulted in more noise, vibrations and daily train whistles, which has become a nuisance for nearby residents.

A large group of people who lived near the Lorne Street rail crossings turned up at a 2022 city budget meeting, playing train whistle sounds from their phones to emphasize the need for a proposed $1.2 million project aiming to subdue the horns.

A petition with more than 100 signatures was sent to council supporting the budget item.

While council opted against including this project in the budget, staff were told to keep an eye out for grant opportunities that might help cover costs and kickstart the process.

The city said this upcoming project is partially funded by Transport Canada’s Rail Safety Improvement Program, which is intended for infrastructure upgrades and other initiatives.

The work will include upgrading rail crossing warning systems at Seventh and Eighth avenues, reconfiguring the lane, installing fencing, raising the existing road profile, and undergoing excavation and fill works, milling and paving.

The municipality said railways are provincially and federally regulated, and while the city can’t regulate the use of train whistles, it can follow processes established by these other levels of government to try and eliminate whistles at specified locations.

Part of the process requires the city implement safety improvements and crossing upgrades.

Finally, a council resolution and an approval from Transport Canada are needed in order for whistle cessation to take place.