Advice Needed for Flat next to Rail Lines, over-night services?

[Fizzy]

Hello! I've kindly been referred here by a member of a housebuying forum, and I wonder if anyone can help?

I am thinking of living in a small tower block at W5 3SE, but it's right next to quite a few lines (both tube and rail), so I'm unsure what the experience would be throughout the night. I did visit during the day, and trains seemed pretty frequent (every few minutes). Please could you kindly advise? Just worried about the biggest purchase of my life... I don't want it to be the biggest and most expensive mistake ever!

 

[anthony263]

There is always going to be noise wheever you are living especially in places such as London.

The tube lines should be relativly quiet with any noise from the railway most likely coming from the diesel trains running along the GWML. All of this should be changing in a couple of years with electrification. As we have discussed in some other threads on this forum, you will get used to the noise from things outside so you dont pick up on it unless it is something really unusual.

You will also face noise from your neighbours so you may not even notice the noise from outside.

My best suggestion to you would be to really do your homework before you make a decision and put pen to paper.

I am moving out of my parents home to somwhere of my own near Worcester when I start work with First in February so I can understand what you are currently going through

 

[455driver]

Is it possible to visit the flat/area at different times of the day/night?

If you are concerned about it then it might be worth spending a couple of days/nights sat around checking it out.

 

[GB]

Remember though, the amount of trains and noise that is around today may not necessarily be the same as in a couple of years. The GWML is only going to get busier and you also have to take into account freight trans as well as potential engineering work.

I live in a flat about 250ft from the GEML and I can certainly hear (and feel) a lot of the trains...including electric trains as they are not as quiet as you would think.

If you chose to live near an operational railway at some stage you will get disturbed.

 

[Condor7]

As we have discussed in some other threads on this forum, you will get used to the noise from things outside so you dont pick up on it unless it is something really unusual.

Many years ago we bought a house next to a railway.
It was on the Aire Valley line in West Yorkshire, not as busy as the one near you, but still quite busy during the day and at the time about 5 or 6 freight trains a night.

As a train enthusiast I was fine but my wife was very concerned, however after a fairly short time we became so used to the trains that we never noticed them.

 

[SansPareil]

That's quite a busy spot, there are freight trains running 24 hours a day through Acton Main Line and to the adjoining yard. It's the main reception point for aggregates trains into London, and trains can be dividedand assembled there. Passenger services also operate throughout the night from Paddington, but these are fewer in number. At a guess the tube will finish at about 0030 and restart at 0530, but could well end up going 24 hours in the future. All in all I'd say it depends on the exact positioning of the flat, how sensitive you are to noise, and what quality of double glazing you can afford!

To give you a rough idea of trains through the night take a look at this list;

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/AML/2014/01/21/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

 

[afyutr]

You do get used to it. My wife lived almost on the London to Gatwick/Brighton lines for a while and after 2-3 nights I slept right through it all and hardly batted an eyelid as trains whistled past during the day.

Do the same sort of research you would with anywhere, roads/neighbours/rail etc and be happy you're comfortable with the noise.

 

[Bevan Price]

I would be more concerned with road noise. Do nearby roads have lots of lorry traffic at night ?. If you have good quality double glazing, you will probably get to tolerate noise from trains every few minutes, but if there are frequent movements by heavy lorries, that may be more disturbing.

 

[gingerheid]

I lived next to two different railway lines when I was in Edinburgh, initially beside the busy-ish (but no as much so as the GWML) line at South Gyle, and later beside a freight line that only saw a very few freight services.

Both irritated the hell out me initially, but I got used to it very quickly. I'm pretty certain I got used to the busier line more quickly, the freight trains seemed more disturbing because they were so sporadic.

 

[hassaanhc]

I would be more concerned with road noise. Do nearby roads have lots of lorry traffic at night ?. If you have good quality double glazing, you will probably get to tolerate noise from trains every few minutes, but if there are frequent movements by heavy lorries, that may be more disturbing.

What you mentioned there is kinda true for me. At uni my room is right by the A117 Woolwich Manor Way (North Circular), which is really the only route to/from the Woolwich Free Ferry. Having lived in a side road for virtually my whole life I never really got used to the amount of lorries passing, and particularly the thump/ bodywork rattles when they went over an uneven bridge joint nearby (until TfL replaced all of them over 3 noisy nights and made it flush with the rest of the road surface ). There is also the DLR very close by but I don't really notice that, even at night when there are train movements at random times (Beckton Depot is a bit further down the line and this is the only route the trains can take between there and the rest of the network).

 

[Fizzy]

Thank you all for your input, much appreciated.

It's so hard to tell what it will be like in reality, having never experienced it long-term; sitting in a car parked in the estate isn't terribly representative of a double-glazed flat in the middle of the block (and I'm prioritising replacing all windows with acoustic double-glazing, first thing!). I have spoken to someone who has lived there for seven years, and he confirmed that he got used to the noise very quickly, with no intention to move anytime soon, which is very encouraging. I hope I won't experience any shaking given that it's a high-rise tower!

Aside from the trains, it's a quiet cul-de-sac, so I didn't notice any road noise. Interesting points about electrification and engineering works, though. SansPareil, thank you for the link, very enlightening for current activity. GB , good point that today's trains/noise may change over the years, which I hadn't realised; I guess activity will only ever increase from hereon-in? I do know that two of the three underground lines will indeed become 24-hours next year, but I'm going to try and consider that a 'plus' for convenience when getting back home at night!

 

[TheEdge]

You'll get used to ambient noise around your flat very quickly. My parents house is located almost on top of the A40 and after a few hours if I go back there I don't notice it.

I live next to Norwich Crown Point so as well as normal train noise I get the shunters, horn testing, depot sirens and everything else, I don't even notice its existence any more.

 

[The Snap]

You'll get used to ambient noise around your flat very quickly. My parents house is located almost on top of the A40 and after a few hours if I go back there I don't notice it.

I live next to Norwich Crown Point so as well as normal train noise I get the shunters, horn testing, depot sirens and everything else, I don't even notice its existence any more.

I live next the railway near Ashton Moss Junction. Not by any means as busy as Crown Point, but like you barely notice it's existence!! You notice the odd heavy freight going passed as they vibrate the house, but otherwise nothing.

Only issue we've had is when NR came to do some deveg on nights and had a wood chipper running til about 5am...but for heavy sleeper like me it wasn't a problem!

 

[Yew]

I would be more concerned with road noise. Do nearby roads have lots of lorry traffic at night ?. If you have good quality double glazing, you will probably get to tolerate noise from trains every few minutes, but if there are frequent movements by heavy lorries, that may be more disturbing.

Moving a house near the railway in lincoln, to the main road from nottingham to the M1 (and having my bed in the front room) I can definately agree wit that. Its a right PITA with the constant noise of cars all night, even through the double glazing.

 

[anme]

I second the point about road noise being more annoying than railway noise (to a certain point, anyway). I never get used to the busy road near my parents' house, but having lived next to a busy electrified railway with some freight traffic in London, it never bothered me. Cars, motorbikes bad lorries seem more annoying, and are more likely to rev engines, use horns etc at all times of the day and night!

Actually the most annoying place I ever lived was about half a mile from an industrial estate. It was generally quiet, but often a siren (I guess an alarm) would sound on the estate for several hours overnight. It wasn't loud, but was intensely irritating when trying to sleep. And the most annoying thing for me are car alarms. I don't care if someone is stealing your car (or more likely, a cat walked past). I'm certainly not going to put myself at risk defending it, so don't wake me, and dozens of others, up!