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Historical Context Historically, railroads have sounded locomotive horns or whistles in advance of grade crossings and under other circumstances as a universal safety precaution. Some States allowed local communities to create whistle bans where the train horn was not routinely sounded. In other States, communities created whistle bans through informal agreements with railroads. In the late 1980's, FRA observed a significant increase in nighttime train -vehicle collisions at certain gated highway -rail grade crossings on the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) at which nighttime whistle bans had been established in accordance with State statute In 1991, FRA issued Emergency Order #15 requiring trains on the FEC to sound their horns again. The number and rate of collisions at affected crossings returned to pre -whistle ban levels. In 1994, Congress enacted a law that required FRA to issue a Federal regulation requiring the sounding of locomotive horns at public highway -rail grade crossings. It also gave FRA the ability to provide for exceptions to that requirement by allowing communities under some circumstances to establish "quiet zones." The Train Horn Rule became effective on June 24, 2005. The rule set nationwide standards for the sounding of train horns at public highway -rail grade crossings. This rule changed the criteria for sounding the horn from distance -based to time -based. It also set limits on the volume of a train horn. The rule also established a process for communities to obtain relief from the routine sounding of train horns by providing criteria for the establishment of quiet zones. Locomotive horns may still be used in the case of an emergency and to comply with Federal regulations or certain railroad rules. i!