Wisconsin & Southern Railroad officials are refusing to follow Madison’s new ban on train whistles, which is to go into effect Oct. 1.

Railroad president Bill Gardner has written many e-mails to Mayor Sue Bauman’s office voicing his strong refusal to the ban.

In a July 12 e-mail, Gardner wrote, “We will not honor your whistle ban.”

He also accused the city of passing the whistle ordinance “behind our backs.”

Gardner added that the railroad company would not attend the city’s meetings to discuss railroad safety.

He is also requesting that the State Department of Transportation officials not participate in “this so-called meeting on educating the general public of crossing the railroad tracks when the trains do not blow their horns.”

Gardner assured in his e-mail that “We will be turning over all information to our legal team and will do everything in our power to warn people we are approaching the crossing.”

Both Bauman and mayoral aide Peter Munoz feel that the ordinance did not pass behind the railroad company’s backs and will continue with their plans to put the ordinance in effect.