Current noisy stretches of track

[Philip]

Are there any stretches of mainline or secondary track in use today which still have noticeably loud roaring rails? It was a lot more common in the 90s and 2000s but over the last 15 years the rail roar seems to have disappeared, apart from on the tube and some light rail networks. I know the quieter rails are a result of rail replacement and more thorough maintenance, but are there any stretches in use now where the distinctive low roar or high-pitched scream still remain?

 

[td97]

Sough tunnel on the Ribble Valley line is a loud one for rail/wheel interface noise.

 

[Mzzzs]

I think post covid tube is louder than pre.

 

[jdp30]

St Pancras Low Level(Thameslink) is awful at times.

 

[InkyScrolls]

Bentham to Wennington is extremely loud on the Down - it can be difficult to talk over without raising one's voice considerably.

 

[D6130]

. I know the quieter rails are a result of rail replacement and more thorough maintenance, but are there any stretches in use now where the distinctive low roar or high-pitched scream still remain?

....and also because of the widespread use of rail grinding trains in recent years.

Sough tunnel on the Ribble Valley line is a loud one for rail/wheel interface noise.

Long-ish tunnels tend to accentuate the sounds of roaring rails because of the echo in the confined space.

Bentham to Wennington is extremely loud on the Down - it can be difficult to talk over without raising one's voice considerably.

1950s/60s-vintage jointed flat-bottomed rails on wooden sleepers tended to be very prone to the corrugations that cause roaring rail....especially on very soft or very hard ground and in shallow-ballasted tunnel inverts. When I transferred to Skipton as a driver in 1991, large sections of the Settle & Carlisle and Settle Junction-Carnforth lines still suffered from this problem, but relaying with continuously-welded rail and steel or concrete sleepers with deeper ballast has largely eliminated the problem - except in tunnels - on the former line....but, as @InkyScrolls correctly states, it's still quite a problem on the latter line, which has seen no wholesale relaying for the past 40-50 years.

The noisiest sections on the Calder Valley line nowadays are all in the tunnels....Elland, Bowling, Wyke, Hipperholme, Beacon Hill and Summit.

 

[samrammstein]

The underground Liverpool Loop Line is pretty loud onboard with the windows open, you get a nice rumble on stations as they approach too.

 

[Philip]

....and also because of the widespread use of rail grinding trains in recent years.

Long-ish tunnels tend to accentuate the sounds of roaring rails because of the echo in the confined spaced.

1950s/60s-vintage jointed flat-bottomed rails on wooden sleepers tended to be very prone to the corrugations that cause roaring rail,,,,especially on very soft or very hard ground and in shallow-ballasted tunnel inverts. When I transferred to Skipton as a driver in 1991, large sections of the Settle & Carlisle and Settle Junction-Carnforth lines still suffered from this problem, but relaying with continuously-welded rail and steel or concrete sleepers with deeper ballast has largely eliminated the problem - except in tunnels - on the former line....but, as @InkyScrolls correctly states, it's still quite a problem on the latter line, which has seen no wholesale relaying for the past 40-50 years.

The noisiest sections on the Calder Valley line nowadays are all in the tunnels....Elland, Bowling, Wyke, Hipperholme, Beacon Hill and Summit.

Did the Calder Valley have many stetches of roaring rails at one time?

 

[dk1]

Buckenham (Strumpshaw) to Brundall UP. Not anywhere near so noticeable to passengers now all trains have non-opening windows on that route.

 

[SE%Traveller]

the Cambria Curve (Catford Loop to Holborn Fasts) anything going over borough market (though all pale in comparison to the aforementioned St Pancras)

 

[dunc695]

Bentham to Wennington is extremely loud on the Down - it can be difficult to talk over without raising one's voice considerably.

142s used to put in a spirited ride over the Bentham line, the flange squeal was horrendous on the tight curve coming into Carnforth sometimes. 158s did bring improvements but there are still long stretches of jointed track.

 

[devon_belle]

Platform 2 at Barnes has a strange Star Wars blaster 'pew pew' sound as a fast train goes through.

 

[InkyScrolls]

142s used to put in a spirited ride over the Bentham line, the flange squeal was horrendous on the tight curve coming into Carnforth sometimes. 158s did bring improvements but there are still long stretches of jointed track.

Indeed! There were more than a few occasions where 142s stalled in wet weather due to rail friction when attempting the climb out of Carnforth, though none to me personally.

 

[Diedinium]

I'd say that the rumble in the Severn tunnel is pretty loud (or maybe it's just a normal amount for a tunnel?), especially nearer the Welsh side - not ridden there for a few months though, and they've done track renewal recently so maybe it's not so bad anymore.

 

[ccityplanner12]

Not exactly mainline, but the District line between West Brompton and Earl's Court. Tube trains have microphones to adjust the volume of the announcements to the volume within the cars, and this corner always gets them onto the loudest setting.

 

[D6130]

As happened with the last thread about roaring rails, several posters are confusing this phenomenon with flange squeal caused by the friction between wheel and rail when trains are rounding sharp curves....which is something totally different and therefore off-topic. For clarity, 'roaring rail' is the noise caused by the vibration of train wheels passing over long lengths of rail head corrugation - often on straight track - which can be eliminated by the use of rail grinding trains.