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Pennsylvania residents say lives are being ruined by new train station

Driving us loco! Shattered Pennsylvania residents say their lives are being ruined by new train station where locomotives blast their horns 40 TIMES a day from 4am to midnight

  • Locals said they were 'sleep deprived' and the station had devalued their homes
  • The train station in Wawa, Delaware County, opened its doors in August 2022
  • The state transportation authority admitted it did not carry out impact studies

By Tilly Armstrong For Dailymail.Com[1]

Published: 22:28, 26 April 2023 | Updated: 22:36, 26 April 2023

A group of residents in Pennsylvania[2] are complaining that a new train line is ruining their lives - with horns blasting 40 times a day from 4am until midnight.

Angry locals in Wawa, just outside Philadelphia, say the noise has been relentless ever since Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) opened the station in August last year.

The regional rail connects the town with Philadelphia, which is less than 30 miles away.

One neighbor complained that all the local people were 'very sleep deprived' and that it was a 'very serious situation'.

At a town meeting on Wednesday, SEPTA officials admitted the train company had not carried out any impact studies about how the noise could affect locals.

Local people said they were 'very sleep deprived' and that it was a 'very serious situation' Local people said they were 'very sleep deprived' and that it was a 'very serious situation'

Local people said they were 'very sleep deprived' and that it was a 'very serious situation'

Angry locals in Wawa say the noise of blaring horns from passing trains has been relentless Angry locals in Wawa say the noise of blaring horns from passing trains has been relentless

Angry locals in Wawa say the noise of blaring horns from passing trains has been relentless

Wawa station is situated less than 30 miles away from the center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wawa station is situated less than 30 miles away from the center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wawa station is situated less than 30 miles away from the center of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Neighbors gathered in a local community center to air their grievances over the new station - which was lauded as a breakthrough for the area when it opened in August.

Now residents are up in arms about the distress the constant blaring horns of passing trains are causing them.

Local Frank Annunziato told 6 ABC[3]: 'It has absolutely devalued my home. It has devalued all my neighbor's homes.

We just want to sleep. That's it. We're not against the train.' Another neighbor added: 'We have a lot of fatigue issues.'

The two main areas where residents are being disrupted is where the trains cross main road Lenni Road and noise coming from the new Lenni rail yard.

SEPTA officials admit they did not conduct any type of impact studies on this project and how the horns might affect people living nearby.

'We complied with all the requirements, permit requirements to advance the project,' said Joe Connolly, SEPTA manager of federal affairs.

They did no studies.

They didn't look into environmental impacts into our community. To them we were collateral damage,' Annunziato told the outlet.

But the authority said it would scale back horn testing at the rail yard and consider looking into other disruption such as locomotives idling there overnight.

Connolly said that he 'sympathized' with local people but the company could not stop trains sounding horns when crossing the main road.

'As long as we serve the Wawa Station, we're going to need to cross Lenni Road. If we cross Lenni Road, we're going to need to sound the horns,' he said.

The outlet reported that authorities had discussed creating 'quiet zones' in the areas affected, but a timetable was not set and it was estimated it could cost £30,000 in taxpayer funds.

Joe Connolly, SEPTA manager of federal affairs, said the company 'sympathized' with locals Joe Connolly, SEPTA manager of federal affairs, said the company 'sympathized' with locals

Joe Connolly, SEPTA manager of federal affairs, said the company 'sympathized' with locals

Locals say SEPTA trains are blasting their horns 40 times a day from 4am until midnight Locals say SEPTA trains are blasting their horns 40 times a day from 4am until midnight

Locals say SEPTA trains are blasting their horns 40 times a day from 4am until midnight

Officials told residents trains had to honk their horns when crossing a main road in the town Officials told residents trains had to honk their horns when crossing a main road in the town

Officials told residents trains had to honk their horns when crossing a main road in the town

Wawa station opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and much excitement in August 2022 Wawa station opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and much excitement in August 2022

Wawa station opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and much excitement in August 2022

It marks a pointed change in the area since the station opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in August last year.

At the time, locals were excited about what a new train line could bring to the 'forgotten' area.

Resident Steve Schultz told 6 ABC[4]: 'This area was like forgotten for a long time.

I think this is going to be huge.'

Until the new station opened, the train line had not served Wawa since 1986.

'It's amazing that they brought it back.

I figured the railroad was going away.

Now it's back,' resident Danny White told the outlet at the time.

References

  1. ^ Tilly Armstrong For Dailymail.Com (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ Pennsylvania (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  3. ^ 6 ABC (6abc.com)
  4. ^ 6 ABC (6abc.com)