Would you buy a house that backs onto railway ..

[Locationvshousevsgarden]

Just that really! Looking to love and finally found something we like but the railway is 6 metres away from back garden boundary... mature trees but you still hear and can see a train every 20 mins. I am not sure so looking for advice... do you live in a similar house? Do you regret it? Would you buy a house backing on railway ? Help !

Used to live right next to a train line, the bedroom was pretty much level with the track and probably only about 6 metres away. Up to 6 trains an hour in peak, each way. The main road on the other side was far, far worse. Would never live on a main road again, even a minor one. If the house is perfect in every other way then would definitely go for it. You also have the benefit of knowing nothing else is going to be built behind you, which is a big plus IMO.

Yes I do back onto a train line with a small road in between the garden and train line.

total of 4 trains an hour (2 trains run right after each other twice an hour). The noise lasts for 3 seconds per train and is genuinely less bother than cars at peak rush hour. I’ve honestly not regretted it for a second

My Nana lives in a house with a railway at the back, my Mum grew up in that house and said the railway never bothered her. My best friend is selling her house and had i not known it was there I wouldn't have noticed that there was train line behind her house. I don't recall ever hearing it when I was there. Have had sleepovers at both houses and didn't notice any train noise. If its your dream house in everything other way i would discount the train line, if you find you are sensitive to the noise buy ear plugs.

You might have a child or grandchild who loves trains. They would love it. And I guess you would get used to the noise.

I used to live in a house that backed onto a railway with trains at about that frequency. It was fine and one big advantage is that railways are wildlife corridors. I've never since heard a dawn chorus so wonderful. Of course this could also be a disadvantage if that's not your thing.

As pp said though, do check for Japanese knotweed.

So sorry for your losses 💐

I did indeed purchase a house that backs onto a railway. Crucially, the line is around 15ft lower than our back garden and well screened by trees. Trains every 15 mins at peak. I don't even notice. I previously lived on a bus route and I would never ever live on a bus route again. So loud and rattly. The train line also means an abundance of love wildlife which is a joy.

Only if it had a fairly long garden and shrubbery etc or a siding with green stuff on to buffer the noise/overlooking of it. Though I do quite like trains visually.

My mate had the tube and mainline station really near and line going into it at the bottom of the garden. You did end up getting used to it and they had double or triple glazed windows.

My Mum and Dad lived backing onto the Central line. I lived there for 6 months or so. I never noticed the trains, it was a lovely outlook at the back with no risk of development and the tube station was very near. My Dad used to get a ladder and climb over into the sidings to go blackberrying and whatever else he could get his hands on. Gooseberries? Long before I’d heard of foraging

Yes! Absolutely yes but I like the sound of trains

Definitely but both my DH and l love trains

We looked at a gorgeous house but were put off for this very reason, the house was side on to the track. Quite well protected by mature trees, so noise was limited, but it was a mainline commuter line into London and we were worried about having to sell it on again.

9 years later and I still feel sad about that house!

I'm glad someone else has said this. A mainline route was at the bottom of the garden of my childhood home, and we also had rodent issues.

my brother has a railway line behind his home. It’s below the garden & there are trees plus it’s near a station so slow trains. When I first visited I expected the noise to be disruptive but I have to concentrate to hear it.

Road noise of far worse.

Depending on wind direction I can occasionally hear the trains near me but again you have to concentrate to hear it.

Electrified line ? How frequent are the trains ? We live backing on to a line and it doesn't bother us one iota , you never notice

My daughters 1st house backed onto a main London to Glasgow line...she lived there 14 years....I used to comment about the noise but she had no issue with it and it was simply not noticable to her....nor to my granddaughter....The front of the house overlooked rolling fields though. 😁

Depends if main line or branch line and it there’s freight trains in it
we have a branch line near us 6.00 to 22.55 one or 2 trains an hours none of them bigger than 2 carriages no nosier than a bus
get the occasional freight about 4 a month very noisy and you can feel vibration but zero problems

wouldn’t live near main line with high speed and freight

We did, years ago. No issues at all for us, we barely noticed, BUT, it was very difficult to sell.
Seems most other people don’t like it as much as we did…

I used to rent a room in a house that backed on to a railway and I quite liked seeing the trains go past (a main line out of London so there were a lot).

I would!

I do like trains though!

a couple of times I've lived backing on to a line, one line had huge freight trains at night & they were sometimes a bit annoying.

my ideal is an old station cottage on a passenger only line preferably with frequent steam trains 😊

I don’t understand

Same here. I don't really notice the trains unless I'm down the far end of the garden or if it's a rare freight train.

I don't have japanese knotweed.

We had a train line at the end of our garden growing up. To be absolutely honest we just didn't notice it after a while and got used to it. I remember having friends round a few times and they would suddenly look at me with a shocked face and I'd say, Oh yeah it's just the train going past!

My DD lived in a house in SW London that had a busy train line at the end of the garden and it was just one of those things! Sometimes living in a big city you do have these compromises. It didn't bother her and certainly didn't put off people buying along the street either - houses were expensive!

If they’re slowing down to come into a station, it gets really noisy and if there’s a bridge nearby that’s where they carry out the repair repairs
It’s not so much the trains then it’s the van door slamming in the shouting at 3 4 5 o’clock in the morning
And the overhead wires when it’s raining, are like the bloody northern lights
I do not recommend