Tracy Press

An ACE rider advises a fellow letter writer about the reasons behind the pre-dawn trumpeting.

EDITOR,

I would like to respond to the letter about the Altamont Commuter Express train whistle (Your Voice, March 26, “Too much whistle”). I take the ACE train to Fremont, so I have seen that there is a real reason the train blows the whistle, and it is for safety.

A couple months back, someone drove through the arms at Linne Road and Tracy Boulevard while the train was approaching. This means a crew had to come out and replace the arms. Also, you will see people try to get over the tracks before the arms go all the way down. I have seen where a semi barely got through before the arms came down on the trailer.

There is another problem that was not addressed in the letter, and that is with Union Pacific trains on the same tracks. They love blowing their train whistles. I live two blocks from the depot, and I heard the whistle through closed windows early Sunday morning.

Remember that ACE runs only Monday through Friday. If you want to complain, you can call the train’s customer-service number at 800-411-7245.

But if you want to reach Union Pacific, they are somewhere in the Midwest. Good luck calling that company to complain.

— Elizabeth Tidd, Tracy

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written by luigi maggi , April 02, 2008

i still don't get what the complaint is! have any of these complainers never heard a train whistle before. if you live next to an airport you get jet noise. live next to a factory you get that noise. live next to railroad tracks you hear whistles! before you plunk down your hard earned money for a home make sure the neighborhood suits you. the whistles aren't gonna stop just for you.

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written by Bill Dean , April 02, 2008

Yea your right Luigi. But what happens when the trains roll down Schulte instead of Linne when Tracy completes the multimodal station in downtown Tracy?, What then ????
were those people mistaken to buy a home next to an inactive railroad line????????????????????

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written by Sean , April 03, 2008

Bill Dean, are you saying that the Ace train is going to be re-routed when the multimodal station is completed? I'm asking because I currently ride Ace and I haven’t heard anything about that.

Thanks,

Sean

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written by Kathi , April 04, 2008

Train crews blow the trains whistle in the manner instructed by the railroad for specific purposes. The length of the whistle blow and number of blows is even set by the railroad. These guys aren't just out there blowing that horn for entertainment, they are doing their job and trying to keep everyone, including themselves safe while they are working. If you don't like the sound of train whistles you moved to the wrong town. Tracy was started by the railroad.