Britain's noisiest trains

Mitchell Hurd · 6 Apr 2019

The noise of a 91 at Leeds is good enough

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RailUK Forums

Mitchell Hurd · 6 Apr 2019

In fact the noisiest train at King's Cross is the EMT-spec HST, especially with the fans going!

andythebrave · 6 Apr 2019

Central line between Liverpool Street and Bank, wheel/track squealing. A different order of volume to anything else.

hexagon789 · 6 Apr 2019

Glasgow Subway

The tight curves and small tunnels exacerbate all noise and amplify it considerably.

The screeching is ear-splitting.

darylyates17 · 6 Apr 2019

37057 said:
I won't disagree that they're loud but they're certainly not "straight piped".

They have possibly one of the largest silencer fitted to a DMU as well as a turbocharger, a few 90 degree and 'U' bend sections.

I wonder what makes the 185 exhaust sound as meaty as it does is this just because it’s a powerful Turbo Diesel engine with a big exhaust you can hear the turbo spooling up quite nicely from above and at certain stations with a low roof such as platform 4 at Occy Road on the exhaust side of the unit

route101 · 6 Apr 2019

hexagon789 said:
Glasgow Subway

The tight curves and small tunnels exacerbate all noise and amplify it considerably.

The screeching is ear-splitting.

At cowcaddens you can hear the trains at at Kelvinbridge im sure

43096 · 6 Apr 2019

xotGD said:
There appear to be a surprisingly large number of posters who have never heard a Deltic.

They are in a different league to everything else when it comes to noise.

And it isn't just the volume. The reverberating beats echoing across the Team Valley are an abiding memory for me.

Yes, thankfully the incessant droning sound was limited to them.

8J · 6 Apr 2019

The compressors and resistor fans on 508s are very noisy!

GrimShady · 6 Apr 2019

86/87s, I hate the traction motor fan noise.

TommyJ · 7 Apr 2019

Timrud said:
Central Line tube can be so loud i can hardly hear an ipad through standard headphones at max volume. I feel for the drivers!

I put in ear plugs when I travel on the Central Line (every working day).

goblinuser · 7 Apr 2019

DMU - Class 150

lordbusiness · 7 Apr 2019

As a youngster in the seventies I can remember laying in bed on a summer's evening and hearing the deltic drone from the ECML about 6 miles away.

hexagon789 · 7 Apr 2019

route101 said:
At cowcaddens you can hear the trains at at Kelvinbridge im sure

You can hear trains at the next station most of the time. At one or two stations you can even hear the announcements from the next one up the line!

Wivenswold · 7 Apr 2019

I'd like to throw in Class 321's MS car when running at 100mph in summer with all the windows open. A wonderful olfactory assault with the additional bonus of the doors banging as train passes on the adjacent track.

Grumpy · 7 Apr 2019

The 170's and 156's are an interesting contrast. I was waiting for a train at Leeds earlier this week with a 170 ticking over several platforms away and it was noticeably the noisiest train in the station, apart from when a 91 took off. However I find them well insulated and quiet to travel in. In contrast the 156 is much quieter when viewed from outside ticking over, but can be hideously noisy to travel in.

Parallel · 7 Apr 2019

I find the 165/166s incredibly noisy when they depart a station.

Cardiff123 · 7 Apr 2019

A Class 150 in high summer with all the windows open, going through the severn tunnel at full speed. Literally deafening. Even the windows I attempted to shut were forced open by the air pressure. Not an experience I ever want to have to repeat.

And of course the squeal on curves of Pacers. The curve from Cardiff Central to Queen St with two Pacers passing each other is a fingers in ears moment.

NoMorePacers · 7 Apr 2019

The Class 180 from the outside easily is the noisiest train when sat in Hull station. The brake squeal on them is another sound to behold.

MatthewRead · 7 Apr 2019

Prestige15 said:
Which trains do you think that is noisy?

All type of trains even steam and london underground can be included at any age.

Here are my pick which i think they are the loudest.

Diesel loco: Class 37/68/Valante
Electric loco: Class 92 aka the Worlds largest vacuum cleaner
DMU: Class 170 (With fans)
DEMU: Voyagers
EMU: Class 317 at 70+ mph
Steam: ?
Tube: Victoria Line 1967 stock

Loudest steam 7000 Britannia.

Fisherman80 · 7 Apr 2019

Class 155/153. Not just the noise but the vibrations when sat towards the centre of the carriage.

Mikey C · 7 Apr 2019

"Tonight on Channel 5 we're counting down Britain's Noisiest Trains. At number 17 is a stalwart of the London commuter scene, which can now be seen in the North of England. Yes it's the Class 319"

xotGD · 7 Apr 2019

43096 said:
Yes, thankfully the incessant droning sound was limited to them.

Replaced by the ear-piercing screech of the HSTs.

That's the difference between good noise and bad noise.

DarloRich · 7 Apr 2019

Mikey C said:
"Tonight on Channel 5 we're counting down Britain's Noisiest Trains. At number 17 is a stalwart of the London commuter scene, which can now be seen in the North of England. Yes it's the Class 319"

Falling 3 at 16 is the Chiltern Railway class 168 trains which can be heard coming from miles away

MatthewRead · 7 Apr 2019

Mikey C said:
"Tonight on Channel 5 we're counting down Britain's Noisiest Trains. At number 17 is a stalwart of the London commuter scene, which can now be seen in the North of England. Yes it's the Class 319"

When will that be may I ask?

reddragon · 7 Apr 2019

Come on, these modern trains are governed by noise regs and are QUIET. Most suggestions on here are just not in that league.
Inside of trains the aircon & pa (even with OLE interference on the 317s), are just annoying, they are are quiet.

Lets get to real noise. Government official research puts the noise of tread brakes as the biggest un-managed rail noise issue in the UK.
Squealing wheels on curves are probably the most painful on the ear. The Central Lines from Liverpool Street to St Pauls wins on that. The Pacers in the early days were good candidates when used on unsuited routes

Modern locos /dmus / emus are not that noisy, just sometimes annoying.

The EE locos with the same engine - 31/37/40/50 are much louder with the whistle of the class 40 adding to it so probably the winner there.
The original Valenta HST scream was also a good candidate.

But the absolute winner by far in the class 55 Deltic. Drivers wore ear defenders, you could here them coming many miles away, their drone shakes your insides such is the power & noise when you are near to them. So powerful were they that drivers couldn't use the top notch power until going quite fast so the real peak noise arrives at 50mph plus.

Another candidate is a steam loco safety valve releasing.

Goldfish62 · 7 Apr 2019

hexagon789 said:
Glasgow Subway

The tight curves and small tunnels exacerbate all noise and amplify it considerably.

The screeching is ear-splitting.

You should try the Central line anywhere between Liverpool St and Stratford - deafening!

Cardiff123 · 7 Apr 2019

reddragon said:
Come on, these modern trains are governed by noise regs and are QUIET. Most suggestions on here are just not in that league.

Modern locos /dmus / emus are not that noisy, just sometimes annoying.

Define 'modern'? Mid-1980s built DMUs - Pacers and 150s, now 35 years old, are not 'modern'.

goblinuser · 7 Apr 2019

reddragon said:
Come on, these modern trains are governed by noise regs and are QUIET. Most suggestions on here are just not in that league.
Inside of trains the aircon & pa (even with OLE interference on the 317s), are just annoying, they are are quiet.

Lets get to real noise. Government official research puts the noise of tread brakes as the biggest un-managed rail noise issue in the UK.
Squealing wheels on curves are probably the most painful on the ear. The Central Lines from Liverpool Street to St Pauls wins on that. The Pacers in the early days were good candidates when used on unsuited routes

Modern locos /dmus / emus are not that noisy, just sometimes annoying.

The EE locos with the same engine - 31/37/40/50 are much louder with the whistle of the class 40 adding to it so probably the winner there.
The original Valenta HST scream was also a good candidate.

But the absolute winner by far in the class 55 Deltic. Drivers wore ear defenders, you could here them coming many miles away, their drone shakes your insides such is the power & noise when you are near to them. So powerful were they that drivers couldn't use the top notch power until going quite fast so the real peak noise arrives at 50mph plus.

Another candidate is a steam loco safety valve releasing.

Locomotives may be noiser, but there is more separation between the engine and passenger areas. On a 150, or any DMU, the engines are below the passenger compartment.

For wheel screeching, Thameslink St Pancras has to be added. Deafening.

reddragon · 7 Apr 2019

goblinuser said:
Locomotives may be noiser, but there is more separation between the engine and passenger areas. On a 150, or any DMU, the engines are below the passenger compartment.

For wheel screeching, Thameslink St Pancras has to be added. Deafening.

If you want it under your feet, try a thumper, not quite under feet but next to you!

The Nomad · 7 Apr 2019

I'd go for:

Pacers going round bends (inside and out)
Class 150s (inside) - the tunnel between Huddersfield and Slaithwaite is particularly painful
Class 43s with Valenta engines (outside)

Actually surprised how few votes the original 43s are getting.

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