Piccadilly Line excessive screeching

[Crithylum]

Last night I was traveling home on the Piccadilly line, westbound from Knightsbridge to South Kensington the screech was unbearable (louder than the 'loud' lines at their peak)

I have never experienced this type of noise at anywhere near this loudness before. It was more like the noise that mainline trains make over tight points at slow speed, with an additional ~50 dB, and did not sound like the usual noises that deep level trains make at high speed (which Piccadilly line trains usually cannot reach)

It also felt like the driver was going slower that normal, therefore the cant was too high for the given speed (the 'sideways forces' were felt as if they were in the wrong direction)

Is this just a one off (maybe rolling stock or driving related) or is there some new track defect?

 

[bramling]

Last night I was traveling home on the Piccadilly line, westbound from Knightsbridge to South Kensington the screech was unbearable (louder than the 'loud' lines at their peak)

I have never experienced this type of noise at anywhere near this loudness before. It was more like the noise that mainline trains make over tight points at slow speed, with an additional ~50 dB, and did not sound like the usual noises that deep level trains make at high speed (which Piccadilly line trains usually cannot reach)

It also felt like the driver was going slower that normal, therefore the cant was too high for the given speed (the 'sideways forces' were felt as if they were in the wrong direction)

Is this just a one off (maybe rolling stock or driving related) or is there some new track defect?

It can be the case that there is a spate of this at the start of summer, as the transition to warmer and more dry weather tends to flag up where lubrication isn’t doing its job properly. But having said that I’m not sure the weather is particularly warmer or particularly dry at the moment, though there have been a few slightly warmer days of late.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Last night I was traveling home on the Piccadilly line, westbound from Knightsbridge to South Kensington the screech was unbearable (louder than the 'loud' lines at their peak)

I have never experienced this type of noise at anywhere near this loudness before. It was more like the noise that mainline trains make over tight points at slow speed, with an additional ~50 dB, and did not sound like the usual noises that deep level trains make at high speed (which Piccadilly line trains usually cannot reach)

It also felt like the driver was going slower that normal, therefore the cant was too high for the given speed (the 'sideways forces' were felt as if they were in the wrong direction)

Is this just a one off (maybe rolling stock or driving related) or is there some new track defect?

The other evening I was on a Northern Line (I think it was when I was on the Northern - might have been Bakerloo) and the noise was really extreme - people were wincing and putting their fingers in their ears. Is there a general lack of relevant maintenance currently?

 

[ThameslinkUser]

That particular area is extremely bendy and is known as the South Kensington Bends. Owing to the extreme curvature, you will hear a lot of wheel screech. There are measures like lubrication in place but each train's wheels will react differently depending on the state of the wheels creating a very loud screech for the 30 seconds you're going through it. There is a temporary speed restriction in place to try and lower the volume of the noise.

 

[Watershed]

The southbound approach to Bank on the Northern line is exceptionally loud too, despite this being a section of brand new tunnel for the widened platform. I always tend to wear noise cancelling headphons; it's almost a necessity to protect your hearing.

 

[zero]

I used to work in the area 10-15 years ago and must have got used to the screeching, or possibly I preferentially used the subsurface lines to reduce the instances of exposure to the noise.

Last month I visited the area again, and I didn't even take the train through the bends, I was only on the westbound platform at SK station, and the screech as it entered the station was louder than I expected it to be from my memories. Do drivers get any protection from the noise?

 

[thomalex]

Tell me about it! You do usually get a bit of screeching here with the various bends on this section but nothing like this and seems to have started over the past week. Something has definitely changed. I'm thinking maybe some rail grinding has happened here?

 

[xtmw]

Westbound platform at SK station, and the screech as it entered the station was louder than I expected it to be from my memories. Do drivers get any protection from the noise?

Yes, ear defenders available from appropriate depots.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 May 2024 ==

Tell me about it! You do usually get a bit of screeching here with the various bends on this section but nothing like this and seems to have started over the past week. Something has definitely changed. I'm thinking maybe some rail grinding has happened here?

Rail grinding usually gives off a high pitched 'whistle' which goes away on it's own after a few months.

It is possible that rail grinding happened over the most recent closure, but not sure.

As other's have said, it's very possible that the curve needs to be lubricated.

Speaking from my own experience, when rail grinding has taken place, it's not unusual to get some flanging/squealing for at least a few days.

 

[greyman42]

I noticed some loud screeching that i had not noticed before on the Piccadilly line, somewhere between Kings Cross and Covent Garden. I was distracted so did not notice exactly where.

 

[starlight73]

Likely to be between Holborn and Covent Garden, where there’s a sharp bend... (It was planned as two separate railways at almost a right angle, and joined together by Charles Tyson Yerkes)

edit: sorry just read your post properly! You said you hadn’t noticed it before so presumably it’s not the Holborn bend! In that case, maybe it’s the bend between Kings X and Russel Square?

 

[GFE]

Most sharp curves are with lubrication (friction modifier) dispensing equipment, failure/mis adjustment of these could also be a cause .

 

[Sad Sprinter]

If I’m correct the OP is referring to screeching happening on a section of dead straight track. I know where he means, as a commuter myself on the Piccadilly it’s more intense than the screeching at the South Ken curves.

 

[Crithylum]

The screeching was through the South Kensington curves. Normally it is nowhere near this bad but on that day it was horrible

If I’m correct the OP is referring to screeching happening on a section of dead straight track. I know where he means, as a commuter myself on the Piccadilly it’s more intense than the screeching at the South Ken curves.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

The screeching was through the South Kensington curves. Normally it is nowhere near this bad but on that day it was horrible

Ah, there's another stretch further along the line before it reaches the open air where it screeches loudly along straight track