Rail Traffic

[railconcerned]

We live on the west side, inside the loop, and the UP line that runs n/s through Bellaire to Memorial Park has had a very significant increase in freight train traffic. The Westheimer RR crossing at Highland Village seems busier than ever. Does anyone know what is going on and if there is and community groups of concern over this? Thank you

[musicman]

wasn't that route temporarily closed (at least at i-10) til they reconstructed the train crossover over i-10?

[ricco67]

Welcome to the forum.

There are several reasons why rail traffic has been increasing as its been discussed here ad nauseam. While I can't find some of the discussions off hand, one of the reasons is just a combination of factors that has simply increased the amount of goods that are being transported by rail.

Here is a link to one article that was VERY briefly discussed. Here is a link to a Chron.com article

Are you complaining about the noise or the rail traffic? They have cut down the rail noise (horns) because of the "quiet" zone that was put on there (even though I DID hear one train blow its horn a few weeks ago)

Musicman: The UP line that the initial poster is talking about still goes through even though the bridge is under construction and will continue to be so until it is time to switch the track to the new bridge which should only take a few hours.

[jfre81]

Maybe it's just me but I might rather have more goods shipped by rail instead of in dangerously overloaded big rigs that destroy the roads.

And yeah, I live within earshot of several freight routes...

Edited January 14, 2008 by BrewsterMcCloud

[Jeebus]

Maybe it's just me but I might rather have more goods shipped by rail instead of in dangerously overloaded big rigs that destroy the roads.

..and cause motor vehicle accidents/deaths.

100% AGREED.

[musicman]

Musicman: The UP line that the initial poster is talking about still goes through even though the bridge is under construction and will continue to be so until it is time to switch the track to the new bridge which should only take a few hours.

gotcha.

[desirous]

I've faced a couple horrible waits at San Jacinto/IH-10 this week. That intersection needs to be grade-separated, but I don't see how.

[missmsry]

In the last month or so I've heard a lot more rail traffic on the west side rail (the one that crosses Richmond and Westheimer) inside the loop. I can hear the horns from my house on Hazard, so it doesn't seem like this is a "quiet" zone. Not that I'm complaining because I feel rail traffic is preferable to the big rigs on highways.

[ricco67]

The reason why you might hear horns is because it could be the engineer either isn't familiar with the area and/or didn't see the "quiet zone" signs or whatever it is that they go by.

[houstonmacbro]

We live on the west side, inside the loop, and the UP line that runs n/s through Bellaire to Memorial Park has had a very significant increase in freight train traffic. The Westheimer RR crossing at Highland Village seems busier than ever. Does anyone know what is going on and if there is and community groups of concern over this? Thank you

This is kinda related ... I often cross Richey Road @ Hardy and get caught by the trains there. I hear a lot more traffic (or at least it seems) ...

From the little I know about rails, a lot more shippers are choosing rail because pound for pound (ton for ton?) it is cheaper to ship that way.

I think we're gonna see a lot more rail traffic in Houston.

[CE_ugh]

The reason why you might hear horns is because it could be the engineer either isn't familiar with the area and/or didn't see the "quiet zone" signs or whatever it is that they go by.

Oh they blow there horns at pedestrians that stand to close to the track

[Mark F. Barnes]

This is kinda related ... I often cross Richey Road @ Hardy and get caught by the trains there. I hear a lot more traffic (or at least it seems) ...

From the little I know about rails, a lot more shippers are choosing rail because pound for pound (ton for ton?) it is cheaper to ship that way.

I think we're gonna see a lot more rail traffic in Houston.

A lot of the traffic comes from these new inland international ports (Port of Dallas), they take containers straight from the boat via rail to the US Customs port of entry inland. They are taking the huge overflow from Port of Houston, Long Beach, etc. With the price of diesel, it's extremely cheaper that way, and easier to secure and track it's route.

[houstonmacbro]

Is that why there was the big bond election for the Port of Houston? To recapture some of that overflow?

[Mark F. Barnes]

You got it. But they could double it and still not keep up. The Port of Dallas is more a convenience of the US Customs Department, not the "Port of Houston" per say. Containers sit on deck in the Gulf awaiting there turn for up to 90 days at times, the influx of imports is off the hook.

[Travel_n_Transport]

If you live on Hazard and you hear train horns, you are almost certainly hearing the trains that are crossing Shepherd/Durham/T.C. Jester, et al. - which is the same track that crosses Westheimer/Richmond, et al.

Although it is a quiet zone, there's no reason why a train engineer can't blow his horn if necessary. Stupid people need to be reminded on occasion.

[musicman]

remember we are in winter so winds change and may be from the north so sounds vary.

Edited January 21, 2008 by musicman

[Jdorfma1]

If you live on Hazard and you hear train horns, you are almost certainly hearing the trains that are crossing Shepherd/Durham/T.C. Jester, et al. - which is the same track that crosses Westheimer/Richmond, et al.

Although it is a quiet zone, there's no reason why a train engineer can't blow his horn if necessary. Stupid people need to be reminded on occasion.

It is my understanding that Shepherd/Durham/TC. Jester is not yet a quiet zone. I've had very little luck finding anyone in Houston government that can tell me when it will be one other than to say that they want the whole length of the UP line from downtown to outside the belt to be a QZ eventually.

[missmsry]

Another reason I hear the trains this time or year is because there is less humidity. When there is less water in the air, sound travels farther. When there is more water in the air, it muffles the sound.

[houstonmacbro]

Another reason I hear the trains this time or year is because there is less humidity. When there is less water in the air, sound travels farther. When there is more water in the air, it muffles the sound.

Also, less growth. I swear the trains at the Hardy Rail yard sound like they are just down the block sometimes from where I am. It is so clear and so loud.

They are actually a few miles to the east.

[ricco67]

I find it interesting that, according to the article in today's Chronicle (link) that there is a movement to move the line to some distance away. The way (from the article is written) they want to lay it out, all the benefits will be for the people in the Rosenberg area and does little for the actual railroad.

There is little incentive for the railroad to go into "rice fields" and "More rural land", if anything, it would increase their costs in fuel and time of transit. The only thing that would probably persuade it if the land was able to hold 2/4 tracks to increase the traffic to relieve congestion, but THAT would require for that to be done for a considerable distance and not just around the area in question.

The fact that they (Sen. Lampson) are trying to get government to foot the est. $880 million bill makes it interesting that he, along with others, were trying to justify that rail is NOT important for a reason.