railway 10 metres from flat - would you buy?

gracious

Hi I am considering buying a flat in London that is on the second floor of a block backing on to the railway.

The East London line runs parallel to the flat at a similar height. The line is solely for London Overground electric passenger trains that seem to hiss rather than rattle and chug! They start at 5.30 and end at 12. I would equate the noise to slighly louder than an electric van passing by on the road. The other issue is that people in the train can see into the living room and bedroom (but they do go by quite quic so they dont get much of a view!)

I like the flat and may go ahead but my main concern is being able to resell the house and I would like to know how much an issue like this would put people off.

with many thanks for your help

Jowo_2

I bought a house once near a railway line (about 100 yards behind). The commuter trains hiss and cause no nuisance, as the estate agent pointed out during my viewings, could barely hear them through the window. First night there after I bought and freight trains screamed over in the early hours rattling the house, felt like an earthquake, so, too, the Eurostar when it gets diverted. Can sleep through all the trains, now, no problem.

Running_Horse

I could live with it, but many couldn't and resale will always be difficult.

Do they still have those nuclear waste trains running overnight?

I always remember those terraced houses literally built within a couple of metres of the mainline near Southampton station. Must be awful.

diable

It would put me off but then again can you afford the price tag for a better location?

pimento

Where exactly? Stepney/Limehouse/Canary Wharf, resale won't be a problem. Becton/Canning Town might be a problem.

gracious

Kingsland Road, Hackney - nearer Shoreditch than Dalston

mrcol1000

I use to live behind Oxford mainline station. We could hear the annoucments from the station in the garden and there use to be a frieght train that went through at 2am where you could count the cars. I must admit for the first few days its noticeable and the frieght train woke you up but then you just forget its there and tune out. I now live next to a main road which is busy 24 hours a day and that also you tune out. To be honest you do really forget its there and I always quite liked having the trains passing especially when something unusual went past. To be honest though in London there is noise everywhere so a train line won't make much difference.

PasturesNew

It's the night time traffic that might get you down. When the line's not being used, it'll have all sorts on it - maintenance stock. Big machines that go out and lift the lines, shovel the stones back under the track, then put the track down again ... a few feet at a time - along with accompanying gigawatts of light so the workers can see their mug of tea OK.

GDB2222

I remember chatting to someone in his garden right next to a railway line. He was oblivious to the noise, which was quite loud as there was a bridge just there. He wasn't just appearing not to notice; he just completely tuned the noise out. Apart from that, it was a truly idyllic spot. Given the choice between a noisy road and a noisy railway line, I'd definitely choose the latter.

Fire_Fox

Whether you can tune noise out or not varies from person to person. I live on a road that is effectively a bus terminus, in the day either my double glazing cuts out most noise or I can tune it out. However the first buses in the morning woke me for a year or more so I had to use wax ear plugs (much better than foam). I do have insomnia for which I take strong medication; the noise didn't disturb my ex from day one. You may be fine if your bedroom is the other side of the building from the railway track.

Gloomendoom

I rented a place next to a railway line. The first two weeks were hell, but then I just stopped noticing it.

As others have said, it seems easier to tune out railway noise than road noise.