Quiet Crossings Kleinburg

Let's bring back quiet nights to Kleinburg.

Every night, freight trains sound their horns at the Nashville Road and Huntington Road crossings, waking families across our neighbourhood. There is a proven, safe way to change that, and nearby towns have already done it. We're neighbours working together to bring it here.Every night, train horns at the Nashville Road and Huntington Road crossings wake our neighbourhood. There's a proven, safe way to change that.

Four interruptions every night.

The CPKC main line runs right past our homes. Trains are required to sound the horn as they approach each public crossing, so every train that passes Nashville Road and Huntington Road overnight is heard across the whole neighbourhood.

When these tracks were laid, the area was farmland. Today it is home to hundreds of families, many with young children.

Where there were once fields, there are now streets full of families.

This is solvable, and it has been done next door.

Federal rules require trains to sound their horns approaching every public crossing. But Transport Canada also lets a municipality end routine whistling once a crossing has the safety features that make the horn unnecessary, such as gates, lights, bells, fencing and pedestrian protection. This is called whistle cessation.

Horns can still be used in an emergency, such as a person or vehicle on the tracks. What stops is the routine blast at every train, all night long.

King Township · 2024

Three crossings on the Barrie GO line

Council passed By-law 2024-051 on June 17, 2024, ending routine whistling at Station Road, 15th Sideroad and Dufferin Street after adding pedestrian gates, fencing and signage.

Markham · 2021 onward

15 crossings on the Stouffville line

Markham worked with York Region to upgrade its crossings, and routine horns have now stopped along its GO line.

Vaughan · 2016

Our own unfinished file

Councillor Marilyn Iafrate raised CP whistling for Block 61 residents in 2016. Requests were paused until federal crossing safety assessments were done. Those were due in 2021.

Which trains, and where.

The horns come from CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) freight trains on the MacTier Subdivision, the main line between Toronto and Northern Ontario. It runs 24 hours a day and serves the Vaughan Intermodal Terminal just to the south.

Aerial view of the new Kleinburg-Nashville neighbourhood with the CPKC rail line highlighted running across the top of the photo

The CPKC line (highlighted) runs along the north edge of the new Kleinburg-Nashville homes.

Crossing	Road owner	Notes
Nashville Road Mile 16.7	City of Vaughan	The closest crossing to most homes in Kleinburg-Nashville.
Huntington Road	City of Vaughan	Close by. Vaughan's transportation review already recommends a future grade separation here and at Nashville Road.
Kipling Avenue, Kirby Road	City of Vaughan	Further north; could be included in a corridor request.
Regional road crossings	York Region	Any crossing on a regional road also needs York Region's approval.

The exact list of crossings will be confirmed by City staff as part of the process.

Transport Canada's process, step by step.

Residents can't apply directly. The request goes through the City of Vaughan, which works with CPKC to assess the crossings under section 104 of the federal Grade Crossings Regulations.

If the City and railway can't agree, the City can ask the Minister of Transport to decide. That keeps the process moving.

Three ways to help, starting today.

1. Sign the petition

Add your name and street so Council can see how many households are affected. Every signature counts.

Your name and street are shared only with Vaughan Council and never shown on this site.

2. Write a friendly note to your councillor

A short, positive email about how the horns affect your family makes a real difference. Mention that you support whistle cessation at the Nashville Road and Huntington Road crossings.

Councillor Marilyn Iafrate, Ward 1 (Maple/Kleinburg)marilyn.iafrate@vaughan.ca905-832-2281, ext. 8344

Other councillors are listed on the City of Vaughan council page.

3. Spread the word

Share this page in Kleinburg and Vaughan community groups, tell the neighbours on your street, and follow @quietcrossingskleinburg. The more households we hear from, the stronger the case.

Want to volunteer, door-knock or help organize? Message us on social media.

What neighbours usually ask.

Will the crossings be less safe?

No. Whistle cessation is only approved when a crossing meets federal safety standards without the horn. That usually means adding protection like gates, pedestrian arms and fencing, so the crossings often end up safer than they are today.

Will the horns stop completely?

Routine horns stop. Train crews can and will still sound the horn in an emergency, for example if a person, animal or vehicle is on the tracks.

Can we apply to Transport Canada ourselves?

No. Only the municipality can start the process, which is why community support and a positive relationship with Council matter so much.

Is this against the railway?

Not at all. CPKC is a partner in the process. We're asking the City to work with the railway on a safe, permanent solution.

Let's bring back quiet nights to Kleinburg.