Do you live in a house near a railway line?

[Wigeon]

If you live in a house near a railway line, how much does the noise bother you? Selling our house and just looked at a house less than 150m away from the town's main railway line, with regular trains passing. There are trees between the house and the line, but it did seem pretty noisy in the garden (and in the house if the windows were open). There's also a main road nearby with a constant hum of traffic. But the house itself was really lovely and ticks pretty much all our boxes!

Do you just get used to it? Or does it both you, especially at night, or in the summer if you are trying to enjoy your garden?

I've always lived near them. Including main lines. Never bothered me. You just get used to them. The track maintenance can be very noisy at night. But it is rare and they usually write to local residents to pre warn of it.

I have one at the bottom of the garden, it's the beginning of a scenic route and couple of times a year the Flying Scotsman goes past.

I love it.

25 years and counting I’ve lived across the road from a very busy train station. I’m so used to the trains that when there weren’t many last week the silence was deafening same as Xmas day when there’s no trains. trains are like traffic on the roads they hum is just there. I don’t hear it most of the time

We live with a train line at the bottom of the garden. The previous 2 houses were next to a train line. It was part of our wish list. We may be a family of nerdy trainspotters though 🫣

I live near a railway line. I like the trains.

I used to. On the first night we lived there we were woken by a very heavy goods train making the house shake a little.

It never woke me again after that first night, we only realised it was a regular occurrence when visitors stayed and they mentioned it.

The regular trains never bothered us, but we were in London so there was plenty of other noise.

Loved next to a busy train line line most of my life, you won't even notice them after a while. They never bothered us

Thanks for further replies, very interesting 🙂

We've got a cutting at the bottom of our garden. I love hearing the trains go by. Most people who visit don't even notice them. I grew up under the Heathrow flight path though so I'm used to noise!

Of all the noises, trains and traffic doesn't bother me. We live about a half mile from a quite big train station and whilst if it is quiet I can hear them outside it doesn't bother me. But they are at the back of the apartment.

We have a quite busy road to the side of us and the traffic hums along but again it doesn't bother me.

I once stayed in a hotel that directly overlooked a tram line and tram stop and I found it quite soothing. But then again there weren't lots of people making noise as well.

If you have bedrooms away from the source of the noise you might be ok.

We've just moved into a house with a mainline railway into London less than 200' away. It doesn't bother me at all, I work from home and don't even hear the trains any longer. .

We got the double glazing replaced as soon as we moved in and during the winter you don't hear them at all.

We had to buy our current house desperately quickly and it backs onto the train line. We thought we'd hate it, just stay 6 months and move. Actually I quite like the trains. It's a pretty quiet line, but we all shout "Train!" when we see one. (Tbf DS started this!) But all our friends like seeing them as well. We sound like utter saddoes, but it's really no inconvenience at all.

Hi everyone.. just found this thread and I'm in a similar predicament:(.. about to put an offer on a property in Coulsdon (Windermere road to be precise) which has a 80 feet garden backing off to one of the county's busiest train lines.. the Brighton main line with both suburban and Gatwick express/Thameslink fast trains every few mins..everyone on thr street I've spoken to says they got used to it..but what if I don't! Is it going to be a problem when I want to sell? Assume not everyone is a train geek and wants that constant whooshing sound or even the sight of regular trains when sitting in the garden ..help! Postcode of the street is CR5 2JA

You might want to start your own thread, but to answer your question, the mainline from London to Edinburgh is at the bottom of my garden and I barely notice it now. It's a lovely quiet location (trains aside) and I adore the house. I used to live close to the A1 and never really got used to the constant rumble of tyres, but trains don't bother me in the slightest. As I said, im so used to them I don't hear it any longer.

Can you sleep with a/c on or a fan or other white noise? Are you. Good sleeper? Do you have any trauma (tends to make people more noise-sensitive)?

Coulsdon has things going for it which make it desirable enough to balance trains. Being the last place inside the Travelcard zone, having the Downs but good links to London and Redhill/Gatwick/Brighton. You won't have resale issues.

600m away from a road and railway line.

Hear the road more. Quite like listening for trains in the night.

I think vibration would be a key issue for me. Noise you can block out, but if there is significant vibration that makes things really difficult.

I would want to buy at a significant discount due to the number of people that might be put off.

Thank you! Yes I'm used to sleeping with the fan and have lived near high streets so won't be a problem windows closed.. just dont know if we can fully enjoy some time in the garden with trains rolling past constantly

I love them so I'd love your garden! But it is worth considering.

Train line over road noise any day. It's the constant hum of the cars that would be more annoying.