Alberta
We’d like to hear your story about how railway noise and vibration has affected you, and your community. Tell us about the problems you’ve had – or are continuing to have – with railway noise and vibration. How has it affected you and your quality of life? We’d like to hear about your successes and frustrations in resolving your concerns, as well as hear what current conditions are like in your area.
Blogs, Stories and Comments from Alberta Residents … and Posts Relating to Alberta …
- Ardrossan: Comments from residents on the page Resources regarding CN Rail.
- Edmonton: Blog from the Tamarack Community in Edmonton. Note: This community group is no longer online.
- Mirror: See the post There’s Smoke in Mirror.
- Strathcona County: Blog from a resident entitled Railroaded. Also the subject of 2 posts: No Cando and What You Cando.
- Wildwood: Article about residents and their battle for relief from CN Rail locomotive whistles.
- Strathcona County: See the post Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Ardrossan: Post entitled Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Leduc: See the post Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Lethbridge: See the post Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Fort Saskatchewan: See the post Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Wabamun Lake: See the post Communities in the News: The List Continues to Grow.
- Calgary: See the post Communities in the News: Health and Environmental Concerns Raised.
- Airdrie: See the post Communities in the News: Health and Environmental Concerns Raised.
Rail and Reason 
I live in Ardrossan AB
Currently, a number of concerned citizens have re-filed grievances with our local Strathcona county to get whistle abatement.
I moved in in 2000 when there was maybe four trians a day. Now there must be 40 trains a day and despite the closest crossing having all the gates, lights, alarms & signage….these morons continue to blast their whistles regardless. Some for long periods and as softly as manageable and others as long and loud as they feel like.
CN claims they save lives….what rubbish….every accident I hear about on the news claims that CN (or whatever company) sounded all the alarms they could and still certain individuals run acroos tracks trying to “beat the train” so whistles in my opinion don’t solve this issue. They do however disrupt everyone inside a 3 kilometer radius.
CN recently installed a small siding right here in this little hamlet( a third track ???? ) why couldn’t they have built it either farther east or west along side their extensive Right of Way out in the boonies ? No…instead it’s right near 150 houses with their engines running for hours and hours.
What a poor excuse of a corporate citizen.
Of course our local MLA Len Benoit is a *****….as is Peter Kent (both whom are due for fat pensions upon retirement. It’s up to our Municipal council to take up the fight with this behemoth. Good luck.
I disagree with Ray.. I think blowing whistles totally saves peoples lives. In fact since they still blow whistles even though there are stop signs at every intersection I think every car or truck going through an intersection should have to honk their horn to! Bike riders need to whistle, pedestrians need to yell really loud, and every vehicle should have straight pipes.
You say that “blowing whistles totally saves peoples (sic) lives.” However, we’re repeatedly hearing another side to this issue.
If whistle use was contained to railway property, or to the crossing involved, there would be little issue with it.
The problem is how locomotive whistles disrupt the sleep of a growing number of people while in the privacy of their own homes. It’s a source of sleep disruption and sleep deprivation for many people, and we think that this type of disruption is coming at a steep price.
We’d like to see a study to examine the effects of whistling on those having their sleep negatively affected. How does it affect their productivity at work? How does it affect their ability to drive, or to operate equipment or machinery?
How is the concentration of school-aged children being affected, or the ability of employees to stay focused and alert on the job?
We’re hearing from people who are so weary that they can barely function at work and stay awake. What’s that costing our economy? We think that it’s significant.
And as for your preference to have vehicles use their horns at every intersection, and to add whistles to bikes, and such; we have a far more cost-effective, and safety-based suggestion: surrender your driver’s license and driving privileges.
If you need this level of invasiveness to keep your attention on the road, you’re a hazard to yourself and to others.
Hi, I don’t know where to turn on this problem with CN Rail, I have a flood problem in the back of our property( we have 5 acears, close to tracks. A beaver and it dam is on CN property, now it has flooded, fallen trees on my fence, done some damage, it’s a hazard back there, I worry about my horses! I have emailed them over and over, they tell me they will pass my complaint on to the right people, they tell me to make a claim and send them receipts, I don’t have the extra cash for that! What can I do? Please help, thanks, Carole
What is the current situation? Did you contact Transport Canada? It sound like this could also have affected the tracks, did it? Very curious to hear more. Thanks for writing.