Legal — By City
Train Horn Laws in Seattle Washington
Seattle hosts Sounder commuter, multiple Amtrak services, BNSF freight, and Sound Transit Link light rail. FRA grade-crossing rule applies to all FRA-regulated rail; Link operates under different rules.
By Train Horn Editorial Published April 28, 2026
Disclaimer
Informational only — verify with the City of Seattle and FRA Quiet Zone Database.
Federal framework
Under 49 CFR § 222, every FRA-regulated locomotive must sound • • — • at 96–110 dB at every public highway-rail at-grade crossing. Sound Transit Link light rail operates under separate FTA / state rules.
Seattle rail context
- Sound Transit Sounder — commuter rail (North Line: Everett–Seattle, South Line: Seattle–Lakewood)
- Amtrak Cascades — Vancouver BC–Eugene OR intercity service via Seattle
- Amtrak Coast Starlight — Seattle–Los Angeles long-distance
- Amtrak Empire Builder — Seattle–Chicago (with Spokane–Portland branch)
- BNSF Railway — heavy freight; Stampede Pass and Stevens Pass east-west, plus north-south corridor along Puget Sound
- Union Pacific — secondary freight
- Sound Transit Link light rail — separate regulatory regime, expanding system
How to verify quiet-zone status
Vehicle train horn rules — Washington state law
See our Washington train horn laws.