The blare of train horns has been a constant in Bayport this week as Union Pacific crews work to replace railroad ties in town.

The sudden increase in train-horn noise surprised residents as the city is designated a “quiet zone” by the Federal Railroad Administration. That means that locomotive engineers rolling through the city are exempt from federal requirements that horns be sounded when approaching crossings.

“While our city is considered a ‘quiet zone,’ those horn-noise rules only apply to train engines,” city officials wrote in a post shared on social media. “Since the equipment that is currently in town is classified as maintenance equipment, they are required under federal law to sound their horn at every single railroad crossing, no matter the time of day or quiet-zone status.

“As part of their work, they occasionally have to go forward and backward several times – which means they are required to sound the horn several times if they’re working near a crossing,” officials wrote.

The crew, which is “completing necessary maintenance, including replacement of the railroad ties, ensuring ongoing safety and transportation of products,” should be done by Friday afternoon, city officials said.

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