Editor:
Re: Silencing train whistles to cost $1.8m, Jan. 28.
Just a layman proposal:
Have a lead vehicle, purpose-built and light, running at some safe distance ahead of the train while passing through residential areas.
Should any danger lie ahead, the operator on the lead vehicle would alert the train operator to slow down or prepare to stop the train.
The lead vehicle may need to have rubber wheels capable of bringing itself to a complete stop over short distance in case of an emergency. And the minimum lead distance would be the braking distance of the train plus a safety margin.
When not in use, the lead vehicle would be attached to the front of the locomotive.
With this measure, whistle blowing can be done away with.
Fen Kong Liew, Surrey