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Original poster

Would you buy a house backing onto a railway line?

95 replies

jill5676 · 20/01/2025 12:34

We've seen a house we like, it's not perfect (small third bedroom) but nicely extended downstairs, doesn't need any work, has a big garden, it's in a good catchment area, just outside a big city, and it's close to amenities. It's an expensive area and we've been outbid several times. This one ticks most boxes but it has a railway line at the bottom of the garden. Two trains went past at viewing, it wasn't excessively loud but we could hear them. Obviously in the garden it would be louder.

In an ideal world, we'd not have trains passing, but it's hard to find something in this area as it's one of the few suburbs with excellent schooling. Would you/have you lived on a train line? For info, it's a single track suburban line with no freight trains but commuter trains passing every 15 mins from 6am-midnight.

OP posts:
sunshineandshowers40 · 20/01/2025 12:37

It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me but would depend on how much I liked the house. I think after a while you would stop hearing them.

mossylog · 20/01/2025 12:38

Yes, but:

  1. Train noise doesn't bother me
  2. If it rattled the windows (etc.), that would be a big no-- but I'm assuming if it's at end of garden then no
  3. If I felt the bedroom was overlooked by train passengers then that would give me pause
  4. Small point, but it makes the property a little more secure from burglary
  5. If the price was lower or I was getting a bigger house for the money because of the train line, could be another plus
BashfulClam · 20/01/2025 12:38

I grew up near a train line. We never noticed the trains most oftentimes, it’s like traffics noise and you stop noticing. The only time we heard them were diesel freight trains as they are heavier with a different sound. Be aware though if they need to work on the line it is done overnight usually at a weekend.

IBlameYourMother · 20/01/2025 12:38

I did. We never noticed anything indoors except the 5am freight train (and soon learned to tune that out). You learn to not notice them when you are in the garden. The end of the garden had really high fences with soundproofing that did a good job, even in the garden they weren’t as loud as I expected.

MrTiddlesTheCat · 20/01/2025 12:39

I grew up in a house with a railway track at the bottom of the garden. You very quickly adapt to noise. After a while you don't even notice the pause in conversation as the intercity whizzes by.

Mumlaplomb · 20/01/2025 12:40

It Wouldn’t bother me to be honest.

Ilovegoldies · 20/01/2025 12:40

Absolutely, you don't notice the trains after a short while (in my experience) Road noise is an absolute no no in my book though. I am currently temporarily housed on a busy road and thought it would be ok. It's terrible.

itsgettingweird · 20/01/2025 12:40

I have a train line (double and fright line too)

I now notice when the trains aren't running!!!

The only ones I really notice now are the special steam trains but it's nice to get up and watch them pass!

EBearhug · 20/01/2025 12:41

I've got a train line in a cutting at the end of the garden. I rarely hear it. I sometimes feel it if I'm in the downstairs bath as a long freight train passes, but I don't really hear it, even if I'm in the garden.

housemaus · 20/01/2025 12:42

I've lived in three houses by rail (or busy metro/tram) lines and I can honestly say the only time it was a problem was if there was work going on overnight on the lines, when it could be a bit noisy - but that was a day here or there every few years, not regular.

Otherwise I stopped noticing it almost immediately, and if I ever did tune into it I didn't find it disruptive at all!

Eyesopenwideawake · 20/01/2025 12:43

Your brain is very smart - after a short time it will realise you don't need to pay attention to the train noise and you will simply stop hearing it.

MattSaracenQB1 · 20/01/2025 12:43

We lived very close and like everyone says you don't notice it after a while. Every now and then (once a year or less) they strim vegetation over night and that is LOUD but you get a letter so could always decamp somewhere else.

LostMyLanyard · 20/01/2025 12:45

I live in a house that backs onto a train line (it's a freight line so BIG trains!). I love it...but as a disclaimer, I have triple glazed windows (double glazed with a 'spacer' then an additional sliding glazed window). I genuinely can barely hear anything...it's like a very low distant rumble. If I'm in the garden obviously I hear the trains but that's ok...I like it 🤷‍♀️

At night, if you're in the back bedroom, you can feel it rather than hear it...it's like a gentle vibration. Honestly though, it's hardly noticeable at all.

Fibrous · 20/01/2025 12:45

My house backs onto a railway line. I really like it as we’re not overlooked. The line isn’t very busy, though, and we’re next to the station so the trains aren’t very fast. If it was high speed, frequent, or dirty diesel I might be more bothered. As it is, it’s definitely a bonus rather than a negative. Also if I’m not asleep by the time the past high speed train runs in the evening (returning to the depot) then I know I need to get on with it.

dixon86 · 20/01/2025 12:46

When you come to sell in the future potential buyers will be asking the same question so remember that

Seeline · 20/01/2025 12:47

We did - been living here nearly 30 years and only notice when they're not running!
BUT
It is a fairly quiet commuter line with 2-3 trains/hour each way, sometimes less. They aren't diesel either.
We are a few 100m down the road from the station, so trains are either slowing down to stop or just getting going again, not high speed.
The only freight we get is the carrying of materials up and down the line for engineering works - they are much noisier.
We have very little noise overnight, unless they are working on the line.
They are on a raised embankment which lessens the noise at ground floor level.

Wendolino · 20/01/2025 12:48

I don't think the noise of the trains would bother me but it would be worrying if you had pets. My cousin lived backing on to a line and her lovely retriever somehow got through the fence and was killed by a train.

BBQPete · 20/01/2025 12:49

Yes.
We did.
You don't notice them after a very short while.

Particularly - as you said - you have a big garden.

I think virtually every house purchaser has to compromise somewhere.

If there were two houses, otherwise identical and one backed on to a railway and the other didn't, then obviously you'd pick the one that didn't in the unlikely event they cost the same, but the reality is they wouldn't cost the same.

Idontgetnosleep · 20/01/2025 12:50

We lived on one growing up, you get used to it and don't notice it. The only thing you do notice is night time maintenence on the railway. The only reason not to is if you have outdoor cats, as the may get hit by a train.

Original poster
jill5676 · 20/01/2025 12:52

Thanks for all the comments so far. DH is more concerned than me, I'd been saying to him that we wouldn't hear it after a while. I grew up on a busy main road whereas he lived on a small island so naturally he has more apprehension. To answer a couple of questions

  • the bedroom is not particularly overlooked as the garden is long, but the obviously garden is. It might be less so in the summer when the leaves are on the trees. Again this bothers DH more than me, he really craves privacy. The trains would pass so fast, that I wouldn't really consider it as overlooked.
  • it's not especially cheap. Slightly cheaper than other properties in the area but by no means a bargain. Schooling has really driven prices up here and three bed semis such as this are going between 350 and 450k depending on the exact location/whether they have extensions etc.
  • no pets and no plans to get any! One toddler and hopefully another baby in a year or so
OP posts:
Gone12 · 20/01/2025 12:53

I lived for 20 years next to a busy mainline track at the bottom of my garden which was also next to a station and level crossing and there were no major issues, in fact I really liked having the railway there and hearing the trains, which you won't really notice after a while anyway. It's also a good deterrent for burglars as they'd have to be pretty determined to cross the tracks to get to your house.

Be aware of/check the following:

a) is there a W board nearby? This is where trains are required to sound their horn, so could be some noise if there is such a board nearby.

b) Network Rail are responsible for fencing and also treeworks and will normally give you plenty of notice of the latter, but check the house deeds regarding boundary lines.

c) Engineering works can be very noisy but again unless they are emergency works you should get plenty of notice from Network Rail.

d) If you have pets it's a good idea to check how secure the fencing is, make sure there are no holes to escape through and that the fence is high enough, not just to keep pets safe but also for privacy from passing passengers.

e) visit the road at several different times, day and night, when trains are expected, to get an idea of how loud they are.

PosiePerkinPootleFlump · 20/01/2025 12:56

I would and did. As others have said you don’t notice after a little while. The only thing we did was put air conditioning in our bedroom, as when it is hot in summer we would hear the trains much more with windows open. We only need it for a few nights per year but still think it was worth it

Gardendiary · 20/01/2025 12:57

Depends on length of garden. There are some lovely houses by me with a train line behind, but some at the end of the road have quite short gardens and I just think the trains would be too close. Longer gardens - no problem.

Meadowfinch · 20/01/2025 12:58

Yes. I grew up in a house with a railway line about 40 m away, and it just faded into the background. We didn't really notice it.

ChonkyRabbit · 20/01/2025 13:01

The noise wouldn't bother me but I'd hate being overlooked by passing trains. Have you taken the train to see what's visible of the house and garden?

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