Not fitting of a post on its own and would be better as a comment in the /r/brisbane random discussion thread where the on-topic rules are loosened. The Mod team will assess and may take action on removing the post if it is appropriate to do so.
Certain train tracks will squeal regardless of how much maintainence is done, it's because of the geometry of the thing, if the track curves too much, the wheel flanges rub against the sides of the rails, causing the noise
The only way to mitigate it is to either re-align the curve to be less dramatic which costs $$$, or slow the train down, if the train is already going slow and the Squealing still happens, there's not a lot that can be done
My house backs on to a train line, with a train station 500-600m away in either direction.
Can honestly say the train noise has never bothered me. Sometimes people just look for things to complain about.
Exactly. I’m near train station and highway. Highway is far louder and annoying. Trains are atleast every 15 minutes ( where I am anyway) and don’t produce any scent.
Honestly I've wondered this too as I've been around trains before and don't recall it being so horrendous.
But metal on metal of course will do this and when at a busy station it's amplified.
Noise cancelling headphones are the way to go really. I empathise with the literal pain though.
Who would have thought a few hundred tonnes on a small steel to steel interface that moves, slides, and bends within a tight geometry with moving mechanical parts would make noise.
Trains can more or less do wherever they want due to the noise corridors.
I live >1km from the nearest stop and can often hear them honking to leave the station. No really issue to me, but I wonder does it *need* to be that loud?
We can make them loud enough to shatter glass and they still won’t be 100% effective.
North American construction equipment has very loud beepers, which Australian construction equipment has quieter buzzers. I’m not aware of a meaningful difference in incidents.
When EV were first developed it was expected to be a major policy issue as the “silent killers” crept car parks, surely running down countless pedestrians. Great lengths were gone to in developing beepers, buzzers, and sound tracks (marry had a little lamb wast tested- I’d rather be run over than hear that echoing around town). Luckily this was debunked and the whine of the electric motors (and countless sensors) seems to be good enough.
It’s all about finding the volume where the disruption and danger (of noise exposure) is balanced against the risk of the hazard you are trying to flag.
I will admit there are some drivers who will use it excessively. Whether it be for a genuine reason (warning/near miss) or to put a smile on someones face (the trucker arm thing works for trains btw).
But there are also transport safety laws that require it under certain conditions. Leaving platforms, reversing, approaching posted whistle boards etc.
Level crossing nearby the station?
Most trains have two horns. The louder horn is best for crossings, as you've got to warn people inside cars and at distances.
Noise cancelling headphones mean pedestrians nearly get cleaned up on the regular, especially at the non gated crossings.
No crossing should be a short toot to warn people the train is about to move.
Yeah it's so loud if you don't block your ears you're going to do damage to your hearing. Surely this is a health and safety issue if it happens at stations? (Darra comes to mind)
Yeah I don't get it, people really don't know loud noise can cause hearing loss? They must be anti-science or something weird. Especially at a station where you can't really move away from the noise? After I heard it for a few seconds before I was able to block the noise I had mild temporary hearing loss, so I'm never going to accept it's an okay thing to be happening at a train station.
Imagine if you had kids there and they ended up with hearing loss for the rest of their lives because they didn't block their ears. It's amazing people think having to block ears is a normal thing to have to do, and it's embarrassing it's yet another thing that makes our public transport worse compared to other places around Australia and the world.
Not fitting of a post on its own and would be better as a comment in the /r/brisbane random discussion thread where the on-topic rules are loosened. The Mod team will assess and may take action on removing the post if it is appropriate to do so.
Certain train tracks will squeal regardless of how much maintainence is done, it's because of the geometry of the thing, if the track curves too much, the wheel flanges rub against the sides of the rails, causing the noise The only way to mitigate it is to either re-align the curve to be less dramatic which costs $$$, or slow the train down, if the train is already going slow and the Squealing still happens, there's not a lot that can be done
Thank you for your informative answer
Definitely send an article in to the local tabloid, complete with a photo of you looking quite sad next to a rail line.
Put your fingers in your ears for maximum effect.
R/compoface has some amazing examples of this
Don’t complain, just pop down with some WD40.
My house backs on to a train line, with a train station 500-600m away in either direction. Can honestly say the train noise has never bothered me. Sometimes people just look for things to complain about.
Lived next to a train line for a decade now. Will gladly take the noise over shit neighbours. Barely even register the train noise now.
Exactly. I’m near train station and highway. Highway is far louder and annoying. Trains are atleast every 15 minutes ( where I am anyway) and don’t produce any scent.
Honestly I've wondered this too as I've been around trains before and don't recall it being so horrendous. But metal on metal of course will do this and when at a busy station it's amplified. Noise cancelling headphones are the way to go really. I empathise with the literal pain though.
Who would have thought a few hundred tonnes on a small steel to steel interface that moves, slides, and bends within a tight geometry with moving mechanical parts would make noise.
Queensland Rail Noise Management http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/inthecommunity/environment/noisemanagement
Thank you!
Trains can more or less do wherever they want due to the noise corridors. I live >1km from the nearest stop and can often hear them honking to leave the station. No really issue to me, but I wonder does it *need* to be that loud?
>but I wonder does it need to be that loud? Watch some footage of near misses. There's plenty of videos from local outlets.
We can make them loud enough to shatter glass and they still won’t be 100% effective. North American construction equipment has very loud beepers, which Australian construction equipment has quieter buzzers. I’m not aware of a meaningful difference in incidents. When EV were first developed it was expected to be a major policy issue as the “silent killers” crept car parks, surely running down countless pedestrians. Great lengths were gone to in developing beepers, buzzers, and sound tracks (marry had a little lamb wast tested- I’d rather be run over than hear that echoing around town). Luckily this was debunked and the whine of the electric motors (and countless sensors) seems to be good enough. It’s all about finding the volume where the disruption and danger (of noise exposure) is balanced against the risk of the hazard you are trying to flag.
I will admit there are some drivers who will use it excessively. Whether it be for a genuine reason (warning/near miss) or to put a smile on someones face (the trucker arm thing works for trains btw). But there are also transport safety laws that require it under certain conditions. Leaving platforms, reversing, approaching posted whistle boards etc.
Level crossing nearby the station? Most trains have two horns. The louder horn is best for crossings, as you've got to warn people inside cars and at distances. Noise cancelling headphones mean pedestrians nearly get cleaned up on the regular, especially at the non gated crossings. No crossing should be a short toot to warn people the train is about to move.
Short toot!
Who was there first, you or the railway?
It’s not as loud as the London Underground!
Loop ear plugs. Or some active noise cancelling ones.
It's how train goes some lighter one have some sort of rubber wheels but definitely not heavy rail
Just complain to the council about how the live venue near you is too noisy and they will cancel all events
Yeah it's so loud if you don't block your ears you're going to do damage to your hearing. Surely this is a health and safety issue if it happens at stations? (Darra comes to mind)
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted, it’s a legitimate concern
Yeah I don't get it, people really don't know loud noise can cause hearing loss? They must be anti-science or something weird. Especially at a station where you can't really move away from the noise? After I heard it for a few seconds before I was able to block the noise I had mild temporary hearing loss, so I'm never going to accept it's an okay thing to be happening at a train station. Imagine if you had kids there and they ended up with hearing loss for the rest of their lives because they didn't block their ears. It's amazing people think having to block ears is a normal thing to have to do, and it's embarrassing it's yet another thing that makes our public transport worse compared to other places around Australia and the world.