Solution may be ahead for diesel trains idling near SLO homes

Union Pacific Railroad, the city of San Luis Obispo and the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District are planning to spend as much as $150,000 to purchase an electric air compressor that will eliminate the need for locomotives to idle for hours in a south San Luis Obispo neighborhood.

Since November 2015, Union Pacific locomotives have idled for as long as 24 hours on a 1 1/2 -mile siding south of Tank Farm Road in the Arbors and French Park residential areas. The air district has received more than 40 complaints about the noise and diesel fumes.

The air district considers the situation a significant health risk and public nuisance.

On Wednesday, the district’s board of directors will consider allocating as much as $50,000 toward the purchase of the electric air compressor, with Union Pacific and the city expected to pay the remainder. The estimated cost of the project is $120,000 to $150,000.

San Luis Obispo has not yet allocated its share of the funding pending a final cost estimate from Union Pacific, said Daryl Grigsby, the city’s public works director.

“Our interest is still high to participate in this project, because we think it is a good solution to the problem,” he said.

The air board meeting begins 9 a.m. Wednesday in the county Board of Supervisors chambers, 1055 Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo.

The trains need to idle their engines to maintain air pressure in their air brake systems. Most trains idle in the siding for two or three hours but can be there for as long as 24 hours.

An electric air compressor could be installed at the siding to maintain the air pressure in the brake systems and allow the locomotive engines to be shut down. The compressor would be housed in a soundproof container at the siding.

“This project has clear benefits in reducing toxic emissions and associated health risks for affected residents while helping resolve a significant and ongoing public nuisance issue,” the air board staff report summarized.

Union Pacific has tried to minimize the problem by idling only one locomotive at a time and installing devices that automatically start the locomotive only when the air pressure has bled down to a threshold level.

“While these measures have been helpful, they have not been sufficient to adequately mitigate the health nuisance concerns of affected residents,” according to the staff report.

The problem is the result of a change in railroad traffic patterns along rail lines in the San Joaquin Valley that has caused substantially increased routing of empty rail cars south through San Luis Obispo County. Amtrak passenger trains take priority over empty rail cars, causing the locomotives to idle along the siding as the passenger trains pass.

Air board staff is recommending that the project be approved, said Gary Willey, the air district’s engineering and compliance manager.

“The compressor could be up and running within six months to a year,” he said. “That’s our expectation, anyway.”

This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 1:26 PM with the headline "Solution may be ahead for diesel trains idling near SLO homes."