Tone down train whistles at night

When we first moved to our Turlock home three years ago, we thought living a half-mile from the train tracks would not bother us. At first, we only heard one or two trains during the night. Now we hear them all night long. Some nights they come through every 20 to 30 minutes, especially in the wee morning hours. It's impossible to sleep on those nights.

Why do they need to run so many loads during the night and early morning, and so frequently? Why can't they do this during the day? They don't seem to come through as often in the day time and they certainly don't blow their horns three times at each intersection during daylight hours. At night, they definitely lay on the horn all the way through town.

Yes, they have a right to do business. But we also have a right to sleep! This is getting ridiculous, and something needs to be done. Not only is it costing us sleep, it's lowering our property value.

For those who argue that the train tracks were there first, communities grow and change over the years and businesses need to adapt.

Union Pacific does not run our state or our communities, the people do, and the people we elected in our city and state governments need to do something to resolve this problem.

SHARON NIMAN LUNDGREN

Turlock