Excessive sound from railroad operations is disturbing some Near South/South Loop residents.
George Rudawski, secretary of the homeowners’ association for residential properties at 1501 to 1511 S Prairie Ave., noted the disturbance occurs on the St. Charles Air Line, a nearby northbound elevated railroad track that turns west on 15th Street. Canadian National Railway owns the track.
“I didn’t realize the proximity with the trains and with the noise would be so disturbing,” said Rudawski. He and other residents have experienced a loud metallic screeching noise caused by freight trains. The noise exceeds 100 decibels, he said. Rudawski’s household and others are located close to the turning point used by freight trains.
Rudawski emphasized the noise becomes most bothersome in the wee hours, about “4:45 in the morning, and the noise really wakes up everybody,” he said.
Rudawski contacted the Chicago Department of Transportation, proposing that workers grease the tracks to alleviate screeching. After the department investigated, the noise stopped temporarily but then gradually started coming back, he said.
Train noise lasts roughly five to ten minutes. Said Rudawski, “It can go for a while until the train passes. It’s a persistent screeching noise that goes on and off.” He emphasized how the sounds occurring at night aggravate residents, especially when two sets of freight trains pass over the tracks in one night (which happens often). “Your sleep is ruined, and that’s unacceptable,” he said.
The South Loop’s high population means the situation affects many people adversely. “We have a lot of people living right next to that calamity of a track,” said Rudawski. The noise causes “extreme nuisance to the neighborhood and degrades the quality of life in the South Loop.”
Rudawski also raised concern about potential incidents in a densely populated area next to a playground and a park, as some freight cars appear to be carrying oil. “It’s amazing that the company would be so myopic to disregard their 2013 disaster in a town in Quebec to allow these dangerous trains through Chicago,” said Rudawski.
Like Rudawski, 3rd Ward Alderman Pat Dowell feels concern over train noise. Her office has hosted numerous town hall meetings about the St. Charles Air Line’s operations and reconstruction, where residents have added their voices to the call for solutions.
“While I don’t know the exact nature or frequency of the noise, I know it is something that is affecting the quality of life of my constituents,” said Dowell. “To that end, I have already engaged the Chicago Department of Transportation on the issue, and I am working with Congressman Danny Davis as well, as most train regulations, including noise, are handled at the Federal level by the Federal Railroad Administration.”
Dowell noted Canadian National ought to acknowledge South Loop residents. “Even though the train has been in the area for over 100 years, the South Loop neighborhood has grown and changed significantly in recent years, becoming a bustling center of beautiful homes and local businesses,” she said. “That has to be accounted for by Canadian National.”
Dowell stated her goal is “to ensure that the railroad is a meaningful, open, and transparent partner in the community, who works with us to improve the quality of life for everyone along the St. Charles Air Line.”
Canadian National did not respond to requests for comment.
Davis can be contacted at (773) 533-7520. Dowell’s office phone number is (773) 373-9273.
—Rodrigo Hernandez