What do you listen to on the train?

[brad465]

On intercity trains I often listen to music that relates to the speed and/or surroundings: trance and/or house music is common for travelling at high speed (over 100mph), Hans Zimmer is quite good for scenic stretches, and some other music tracks of different genres can feature depending on how I feel and what fits in.

On frequent stopping services, and/or certain journeys I'm not in the mood for music, I'll listen to vlogs or comedy shows if the Wifi is good enough, otherwise I don't listen to anything of my own choosing.

However on 465/466s I personally ban myself from listening to any of the above, because IMO their traction motors are music in their own right.

 

[Cdd89]

Peppa Pig. Usually on another passenger’s tablet.

 

[TRAX]

On intercity trains I often listen to music that relates to the speed and/or surroundings: trance and/or house music is common for travelling at high speed (over 100mph)

A man of culture

 

[Dai Corner]

Usually the mechanical, electrical and pneumatic sounds of the train. If other passengers make that impossible I'll pull my smartphone out, put my earphones in and listen to downloaded music or podcasts. (Is a radio programme a podcast if you download it?)

I did have an MP3 player/FM radio before I got a smartphone but don't recall carrying a portable cassette or CD player. They were annoyingly bulky.

 

[PeterY]

Other people's phone conversations

Some are quite interesting, to say the least but they do annoy me.

usually other peoples music, tv shows, movies or phone conversations!

I find these really irritating, it wouldn't be so bad if I could see their screens.

I really enjoy looking out of the windows and I've been known to walk quite away up/down a train to find a decent seat. I enjoy the sounds of the railway.

 

[Purple Train]

I listen to the noise of the train, other people's phone conversations (my experiences mirror those of @PeterY), and the announcements, assuming they're good ones. If I get very bored on a longer-distance journey I still don't listen to anything, as I worry about missing important information (and I'm likely hooked on the massive soap opera going on in Joe Bloggs's phone conversation two rows back), but I might read, or, if I have come very prepared and have a table to myself, do a jigsaw (if the stock rides well).
In all honesty, though, this may turn out to be inaccurate as I haven't made any long-distance journeys since February 2020, so my tastes may well have updated by the time I do my next long-distance trip.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jul 2022 ==

I really enjoy looking out of the windows and I've been known to walk quite away up/down a train to find a decent seat. I enjoy the sounds of the railway.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Howardh]

If I know I'm going to be on a long trip, I'll record via Streamwriter, a few hours of Ibiza Global/Sonica/Pure radio stations for my phone and use announcement-cancelling earphones.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm now quite deaf (otosclerosis), and normally need my hearing aids for any conversation.
If I turn them off (40dB loss in my good ear, and 60dB loss in my less good ear) I can enjoy all manner of peace & quiet! I'm particularly deaf to "pure" tones as used by my once-useful bedside clock-radio-alarm.

This may not work for all forms of deafness, but bone-conducting headphones might help if you do wish to listen to music on the train. They basically bypass the outer and middle-ear: I bought my mum a pair a couple of years ago and she swears by them for podcasts and the like.

As for me, it'll be the relatively limited amount of music I currently have on my phone. Mostly quite obscure alternative rock and indie, but with a bit of Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac for variety. Well, that and the throb of the engines of the 185.

 

[Gloster]

Perhaps there is a gap in the market here: special headphones for use on trains. You put them on and select your sound: a Western going up Dainton, a Peak heading for Aisgill, a Deltic north of York, a 26 heading south from Inverness, etc. Just close your eyes, turn on, tune in, drop out...

 

[Bevan Price]

Very rarely listen to anything - more interested in following train's performancr, but occasionally listen to Test Match Special if I can get any reception.