GO train horns at Unionville’s Eureka Street crossing fell silent on Jan. 9 at 3 a.m., bringing relief to residents after weeks of disruption that re-ignited concerns about Markham’s $7.5 million anti-whistling initiative.
Mayor Frank Scarpitti shared the update on Facebook, thanking Metrolinx and City of Markham staff for resolving the issue and ensuring the crossing’s safety.
The whistles had been re-instated Dec. 23 after a near-miss incident west of Unionville GO Station prompted Metrolinx to conduct a full-scale safety assessment.
“As a result of this extremely concerning event, we implemented immediate safety measures, including reinstating train whistles while the assessment was underway,” the agency said.
While Metrolinx did not provide details about the safety assessment or what factors led to the near-miss incident, it confirmed new safety enhancements have since been implemented in collaboration with the City of Markham.
Since 2018, Markham has partnered with Metrolinx and York Region to end mandatory train whistling, yet the project faced criticism over the past holiday season as the sudden return of train horns disrupted the community.
“It’s deeply troubling to experience the sudden resumption of train horns, especially during the holiday season — a time when families value the serenity of their homes,” resident Shanta Sundarason previously said.
With several additional safety measures, such as new signage and road markings now in place, Metrolinx reiterated its commitment to monitoring the crossing and ensuring ongoing safety to prevent similar issues in the future.
Scarlett Liu is a federally funded Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Markham Economist & Sun