The Florida Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Tampa $1.35 million to create a "quiet zone" in downtown Tampa along the CSX tracks.
"The train horns are a nuisance. Our urban core continues to densify, and the horns are bouncing off the buildings throughout downtown, bothering residents and impacting our economic opportunity," Mayor Bob Buckhorn said.
Residents have been complaining for years about trains blasting their horns when they pass through in the middle of the night.
"It will wake you up. It will wake the dogs up. If you have a baby, it will wake the baby up so yeah it does become a problem," said Amy Prevatt, who lives near downtown.
It can also aggravate tourists paying to stay in downtown hotels.
"You know, you're paying premium dollars, if you will, and it's unfair that people have got to put up with that kind of noise," said Ken Paultridge, who was visiting from New York.
City officials said the money will be used for upgrades that include additional gates, street medians and signs to comply with Federal Railroad Administration regulations.
Once those upgrades are in place, engineers will be able to pass through without using their horns.
"Downtown residents and businesses can coexist with the trains, and a quiet zone allows us to strike that balance," Buckhorn said.
Residents said they welcome the changes.
"I mean it would be nice to sleep through the night," said Rena Rodriguez, who lives in a high-rise complex downtown.
City officials said construction could start in June, and the project could be finished by October 2016.