Quiet crossing view 1One concern people have about the new passenger service is noise. Fortunately, modern tracks reduce sound and vibration to a minimum. So-called “quiet crossing” reduce the need for train whistles and warning horns.Quiet crossing view 2Here are two photos of a “quiet” crossing in Concord, MA. The idea is to create a barrier so that a car waiting for the gates to go up cannot drive around the closed gate and cross in front of an oncoming train. Unfortunately, this happens more frequently than one might imagine. Train horns are one way to reduce the chances of someone’s driving around a closed gate. The “quiet crossing” approach is to make it impossible for someone to do something foolish.