East Taunton residents urge Taunton officials to press MBTA and CSX for noise, idling and safety fixes

Dozens of Taunton residents urged the city on Oct. 21 to press the MBTA and CSX for operational changes at the South Coast Rail East Taunton station, saying frequent horn blasts, long idling periods and loose freight-car debris have reduced their quality of life.

“Kathleen Olsen, 294 Plain Street, said she wanted ‘no trains after 11 p.m.’ and asked the city to request sound barriers and other mitigations to curb what she described as persistent horn blasts and vibrations that shake windows,” Olsen said during the public-input period. “We have suffered loss of sleep and loss of peace and quiet.”

Cheryl Montero (55 Deborah Drive) told the council trains are arriving early and idling at the station for “up to an hour,” producing fumes and vibrations she said are disturbing residents and may have health consequences. “This is beep beep beep beep — it’s 57 trains in a 21-hour span,” she said. Paul Montero (55 Deborah Drive) said the horns wake his grandchildren and urged the council to pursue a quiet zone or a noise wall.

Jennifer Elsinger (179 Fremont Street) described trash hanging from freight cars and reported frequent idling near a rail siding she says was added in recent years. “Trash is stored along residents’ backyards and we experience odors and carbon-dioxide tanks hissing for hours,” Elsinger said, adding that residents worry about chemical exposures and public-safety risks.

Alan LaFrance (106 Pedelford Street, Berkeley) said the number and hours of train passes now exceed what was originally presented to communities and urged the city to ask for schedule reductions and quieter operations.

Speakers cited state and local noise rules. The city solicitor’s office referenced 310 CMR 7.10 for night-noise limits and recommended applying local regulations (Taunton Municipal Code, Chapter 315 — Noise) where applicable. Residents asked city officials to request enforcement or exemptions as appropriate and to seek operational changes from the MBTA and CSX.

Council action: Councilor Borges moved that the city request an update from CSX and the South Coast Rail (MBTA) and report back; the motion passed. The council also asked the mayor’s office to pursue the concerns raised during public input and to report proposed mitigation steps.

What the residents requested: quiet hours (no trains after 11 p.m.), sound barriers or ballast mats to reduce vibration, rescheduling to reduce idling at the station, enforcement of noise limits during late-night hours, and mitigation for trash and possible chemical exposures from freight cars.

What the council did: The council voted to ask the mayor’s office to obtain updates from CSX and the MBTA and to report back to the council; the matter was placed on the record for follow-up. Councilors also referred requests for potential scheduling and mitigation discussions to the mayor’s office so the city can approach MBTA/CSX with specific proposals or requests.

Context and next steps: Residents said they had contacted state officials and the MBTA previously with limited effect. Council members indicated the mayor’s office will coordinate with state or federal partners as needed and report back to the council. The council’s request does not by itself compel operational changes by MBTA or CSX; those companies control train operations but the council’s outreach is intended to document the neighborhood concerns and request mitigation.