A man living in northeast Edmonton is fired up over trains blaring their whistles at all hours of the night.
Andrew Lukaszewicz says the noise wakes him up repeatedly, each night.
“Every time they cross the intersection. The gates are closing, the lights are flashing. Nobody is there.
“They actually stop the locomotive. They see nobody is there. They’re still blowing their horns.
“It’s so stupid. I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
READ MORE: Guelph residents furious over nighttime CN Rail train noise
The train he’s referencing chugs along 17 Street near the Suncor refinery. While the area is very industrial, the sound of the train whistles carries across the river, right into the homes of Edmontonians.
“It’s like open field here, where the river is,” he said.
“You can hear everything. It’s really loud.”
WATCH BELOW: Northeast Edmonton residents have been dealing with blaring train horns in the middle of the night for years. Sarah Kraus explains.
Lukaszewicz says most nights, he only gets about three hours of sleep. It’s stressing him out, both mentally and physically.
He says his neighbours are also upset – but no one knows what to do about the problem.
Though both CN and CP use the rail lines in questions, the track is owned by CN. The company says it’s simply following the safety rules laid out by Transport Canada.
“Under Rule 14(1) of the Canadian Rail Operating Rules, train crews are required to whistle at all public crossings regardless of the type of crossing warning system in place,” CN said in a statement emailed to Global News.
Municipalities can apply for exemptions to stop the whistling, but it’s not a simple process.
First, a third party must conduct a safety assessment of each crossing. Then, if it’s found safety issues could arise, changes could have to be made, including adding additional lights or crossing arms. All of these things cost money and take time.
READ MORE: Noise from train whistles ceased after years of resident complaints
One of the crossings that Lukaszewicz hears trains from is near Hayter Road and 17 Street. The City of Edmonton says it is currently in the process of stopping whistling there.
Two of the other nearby crossings — at 17 Street near the Strathcona Science Provincial Park and on Petroleum Way — fall under the jurisdiction of Strathcona County.
However, there’s no homes nearby in the county, so it hasn’t heard concerns from its own residents. It’s people in Edmonton that hear the loud whistling each night.
The county says Edmontonians with concerns should take them to the city – and in turn, the two municipalities can work together on a resolution.
“The City of Edmonton will need to initiate the process on behalf of its resident.
“This may include collaborating with Strathcona County to address issues with crossings that are within our boundary,” Strathcona County said.
Lukaszewicz says for years he’s been trying to speak to the right people to get this resolved. Now he feels like he’s passed off by the politicians.
“I have a trailer and I could put it in Rundle Park. They are more than welcome to camp one night and they will see what it means to have blowing horns in the middle of the night,” he said.
Lukaszewicz feels his request is a simple one.
“I just want to have a good, normal sleep. That’s all I want.”
If you have a concern about the noise from train whistles in the city of Edmonton, you can contact 311 or your city councillor.