Would you buy a house next to a railway line?

lolly_896

I think you would get used to it, yes the house did rattle a bit and it is quite noisy to others but as a family we didnt even notice it and still don't (when i visit mum) x

tooldle

I would be more concerned about the stream than the railway line. My folks live next door but one to a railway line and next door but one to a stream. Guess which is more problematic? If the price is lower than you would expect, my first thought would be flood risk.

gnimia

I used to have two tube lines and one mainline at the end of the garden (long garden, but still) A tube every couple of minutes, tops, and mainline trains every 10 mins or so. I stopped noticing it very quickly, except at the weekends when I was trying to sleep in. Dont forget that you may be able to plant trees to deaden the noise a bit.

On the other hand, I vewed a flat which was about 5meters from a tube track and at the same height as the (raised) rails. that just didnt feel right.

Bean_Counter

Our train line was about 8 feet below the height of the house & garden, which significantly helped with sound proofing I would imagine. You could not hear it all in the house from what I can remember.

Personally I would quite happily have a railway line if it meant no neighbours.

birduk

I moved last year to my little two up two down probably just as far from the railway line as you are talking about. Honestly I hardly notice it at all. The road is probably much noisier. The big green out the back makes up for it.

WestonDave

Having spent a few days in a camping carriage (think caravan on railway tracks - so next to no sound insulation) right next to the mainline into Devon, there is a big difference in types of trains. If its a ruralish line with only passenger services, its likely to be mainly lightweight train units and you'll barely hear them. On the other hand old style high speed trains with their ear splitting engines on either end can wake the dead if close enough. Similarly freight services also tend to be heavy and noisy. It may be worth popping into the nearest manned station and asking what trains use the line as you need to know about things not on the passenger timetable. A rail served quarry on the line will be a killer!

The other thing to look for if you can get close enough to see the track, is to try to work out where the expansion joints are in the track - modern track is made up of long lengths but because that would buckle in hot weather, they leave expansion joints every so often. They are basically a split in the track (its sort of diagonally down the rail not straight across) and these will generate noise as the wheels clunk over them. (We found this as there was one right outside the bedroom of our camping carriage!) Smooth rail is pretty quiet.

To be fair after the first night we slept through most things - it was the 3 heavy trains in quick succession heading into Exeter that woke us up (one each from Plymouth, Penzance and Torbay).

chris_m

You also want to know if there are any foot crossings or tunnels close by - because that means the trains may well be hooting. A sign with "W" on it nearby guarantees it.

hethmar

There is a road crossing nearby

chris_m

hethmar wrote: »

There is a road crossing nearby

Gated or ungated?

Ungated frequently have a whistle board in advance either way, so I'd expect to hear train horns.

Of course, most gated crossings have sirens to warn blind motorists who apparently can't see flashing red lights that warn them that the gates are coming down.

ukcarper

I live in a house next to a railway now and it is the second house next to a railway that I've own and I would buy another. I quite like it, if it's not a main line you only get the noise for a few seconds 3 or 4 times an hour unlike a main road or motorway which can have a constant grown. But 10ft seems rather close (is that from house to the tracks) I'm about 60 ft away with bushes in between I'm not sure I would like it if my house was 10ft from track.