Noise protocols for overnight rail services

[Iskra]

I spend a lot of time at an address within 30m of the line in the vicinity of Hare Park Junction (Wakefield).

You pretty much get used to it. The only passenger stock that stands out as noisy compared to the others are the Voyagers. Freight obviously stands out, as locomotives on heavy freight trains from a standing start are noisy, but I don’t mind it. I actually quite like the sound of freight rumbling through. The only time it gets a bit wearisome is when NR are working on the track as then the trains all blow their horns and they have a warning siren along the track.

Conversely, it’s very convenient when 37’s or other interesting workings are passing by…

 

[Freightmaster]

Do level crossings get their alarms muted overnight as well as I'm sure a blaring alarm every half hour or so doesn't go down too well with the neighbours...

Yes - I just to live a few houses away from a level crossing and it was was barely audible at night,
a bit like if you put a cushion over your phone when it rings, but that was 20+ years ago so I'm not
sure if they still do that these days?

 

[TUC]

I think there is perhaps a difference between having trains passing your home several times a night, which is a momentary noise one might get used to, vs a stationary train with engine running for an extended period.

 

[Ant1966]

Similarly could here the 22:10 Waterloo-Yeovil as the 50 blasted away from Andover.

IIRC there are a couple of locations where signage instructed crews to shut down engines during the night. Blowed if I can remember where though.

There was such a sign at the signal protecting the exit from the SB loop just SW of Cheltenham station. Right next to a quiet residential cul de sac of bungalows (Heron Close). Was used on occasion for slower freights, a pair of 20s could make quite a noise! Favoured spotting haunt from my youth in the mis 1970s. No idea if the sign is still there

 

[D1537]

Walking towards Brighouse station for an overnight service, I was struck by how far away the running engine for what turned out to be the 0339 to York (which had arrived at 0330) could be heard. I was conscious that this would be all the more noticeable to nearby Brighouse residents as there are not usually stopping overnight rail services at the station, although there have been on a number of occasions in recent months due to the Transpennine Route Upgrade work, and the diversion of services from Huddersfiel.

Are there any general expectations set regarding running engines during prolonged waits at stations overnight, and are there different operational limitations depending upon the type of train?

It doesn't help that the 185s often go into that "revving" loud-quiet mode (difficult to describe, but anyone familiar with the type will know what I mean) when waiting for extended amounts of time. They're quite loud when they do that and I remember staying in a hotel in Sheffield once which wasn't particularly close to the station and being able to hear them.

 

[GordonT]

It doesn't help that the 185s often go into that "revving" loud-quiet mode (difficult to describe, but anyone familiar with the type will know what I mean) when waiting for extended amounts of time. They're quite loud when they do that and I remember staying in a hotel in Sheffield once which wasn't particularly close to the station and being able to hear them.

At least the demise of the heritage DMU and "Pacer" units removed their special type of engine noise disturbance.

 

[MP33]

There are apartments built on what was a goods yard, on the Great Central Railway. The buyers were advised, as part of the conveyancing process. That the railway is closed, and will never ever re-open.

 

[londonmidland]

It doesn't help that the 185s often go into that "revving" loud-quiet mode (difficult to describe, but anyone familiar with the type will know what I mean) when waiting for extended amounts of time.

It’s called engine ‘hunting’. It’ll do it until it settles at its idle engine RPM.

 

[Taunton]

It’s called engine ‘hunting’. It’ll do it until it settles at its idle engine RPM.

... or not settle. For a centrifugal governor, that's the type with two balls spinning round a shaft, even the manufacturers will tell you it governs RPM to a RANGE rather than a precise value. And that's when they are new. Over time wear, friction, and rather simplistic adjustment deviate from that.

 

[800002]

Chiltern's Class 68s are not used on the trains to Oxford. But with so many flats now built right up against the railway, and including the northern end near the bays, I've always thought the residents had a lucky escape on that one.

Complaints escalate in the summer months mainly, at Oxford, with chiltern units being left on in the hot weather combined with open windows.

The 68s have generally been the source of complaints at Marylebone.

 

[Sheridan]

Not necessarily an issue late at night, but I wonder how the residents whose houses back onto Croes Newydd loop have taken to the new Wrexham shuttle and the unit going into the loop every hour (when it runs!).

 

[johntea]

Don't the local residents just basically get a letter through the door saying 'sorry about the extra noise we're diverting a load of trains at Brighouse for a while due to upgrade works at Huddersfield' and that is basically that?

On a side note I wasn't expecting to see rail replacement buses running throughout the night from Brighouse to Huddersfield (that must be odd for the locals too seeing a bus go past their house pretty much every couple of hours overnight!), are there many punters making use of those rather than just sorting a couple of taxis out?

 

[midland1]

There are apartments built on what was a goods yard, on the Great Central Railway. The buyers were advised, as part of the conveyancing process. That the railway is closed, and will never ever re-open.

Do you mean the goods yard at Loughborough Central ?

 

[TUC]

Don't the local residents just basically get a letter through the door saying 'sorry about the extra noise we're diverting a load of trains at Brighouse for a while due to upgrade works at Huddersfield' and that is basically that?

On a side note I wasn't expecting to see rail replacement buses running throughout the night from Brighouse to Huddersfield (that must be odd for the locals too seeing a bus go past their house pretty much every couple of hours overnight!), are there many punters making use of those rather than just sorting a couple of taxis out?

I saw several people on them when I was there, although I didn't check how many.

What is unhelpful is that, as well as the car park being closed to accommodate RRBs, No Waiting cones have been inserted for a long distance on street either side of the station entrance, with a 'No stopping for taxis or Ubers-camera monitored' sign. There will be people who do not want a RRB to Huddersfield or another station, but for whom a taxi to an intermediate location is a quicker way home, including some with walking difficulties. One would have expected better provision to have been made than expecting them to walk a distance from the station. Yes, RRBs need accommodating, but they are not the only means by which passengers get to/from the station.

 

[Stigy]

It’s often written into local TOC/FOC policies about idling engines. GWR mandate that drivers should switch off engines where possible, if waits are over 10 minutes (as far as I recall). Caveats would include things like excess heat/cold temperatures requiring running engines.

Local councils are very powerful too in that they can dictate the dos and don’t in terms of noise levels and pollution.

 

[Kilopylae]

I think there is perhaps a difference between having trains passing your home several times a night, which is a momentary noise one might get used to, vs a stationary train with engine running for an extended period.

All things being equal I would prefer the latter. It's easier to get used to (or muffle) consistent white noise than occasional but unpredictable spikes of loud noise.

 

[MadMac]

Yes - I just to live a few houses away from a level crossing and it was was barely audible at night,
a bit like if you put a cushion over your phone when it rings, but that was 20+ years ago so I'm not
sure if they still do that these days?

Used to be a timer that switched some extra resistance into the “Yodalarm” circuit between 11PM and 7AM.

 

[YorksLad12]

I saw several people on them when I was there, although I didn't check how many.

What is unhelpful is that, as well as the car park being closed to accommodate RRBs, No Waiting cones have been inserted for a long distance on street either side of the station entrance, with a 'No stopping for taxis or Ubers-camera monitored' sign. There will be people who do not want a RRB to Huddersfield or another station, but for whom a taxi to an intermediate location is a quicker way home, including some with walking difficulties. One would have expected better provision to have been made than expecting them to walk a distance from the station. Yes, RRBs need accommodating, but they are not the only means by which passengers get to/from the station.

Interesting wording. Legally, a Private Hire Vehicle isn't a taxi (Hackney Carriage), and PHVs aren't all Ubers. Bet no-one puts it to the test though...

 

[D1537]

Used to be a timer that switched some extra resistance into the “Yodalarm” circuit between 11PM and 7AM.

Interesting. I was stopped at one near us in the early hours a couple of weeks ago for a biomass train. When I'd finished cursing (as it's a very long waiting time and there's only a handful of freights during the night) I did notice that the alarm seemed to be quieter than usual. There are a couple of residences next to the crossing.

 

[XFeed]

Not necessarily an issue late at night, but I wonder how the residents whose houses back onto Croes Newydd loop have taken to the new Wrexham shuttle and the unit going into the loop every hour (when it runs!).

To a greater extent are the houses situated adjacent to Chester depot and probably many other depots around the country too where new residents in the properties would contact the depot regarding noise of train movements, horns and train maintenance activities even though we did try and keep the noise down as much as practically possible and we were regularly reminded to do so.
Apologies were always made but they were politely reminded that they chose to purchase a property next to an extremely active train maintenance depot which operates 24 hrs a day and just didn`t spring up overnight.

 

[furnessvale]

Complaining residents in new houses built next to long standing noisy industry (or smelly farms) always remind me of the residents of a new housing estate which flooded.

The main road in this new estate was called "Water Meadows".

 

[Ayrshire Roy]

... or not settle. For a centrifugal governor, that's the type with two balls spinning round a shaft, even the manufacturers will tell you it governs RPM to a RANGE rather than a precise value. And that's when they are new. Over time wear, friction, and rather simplistic adjustment deviate from that.

Sorry but this is just wrong.
I worked in Diesel fuel Injection for 25 years overhauling fuel pumps and setting governors and you can set a mechanical governor to within a couple of rpm of what you want easily.
The weights on a governor do not wear so do not deviate.
Things like injector nozzles, pump elements and valves do wear and that can cause instability.
With electronics this is made even easier as they will compensate any deviation.

 

[Taunton]

Yes, I wasn't implying that the spinning balls themselves wear, but the whole system, of which the centrifugal bit is just a component, will have manufacturers giving a warranted range. We're all familiar with the "ThRRRummmmm ...ThRRRummmmm ..." of older diesels idling, and if you look at the centrifuge while it's doing this you can see it rising and falling.

Having worked in temperatures down to minus 40, both locomotives and buses were unreliable for restarting in those conditions, and would be left idling away like this all the time, sometimes parked for the weekend next to people's houses!