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'Dangerous levels' of noise on some Tube lines

News imageGetty Images A "mind the gap" Tube platform warning sign at a stationGetty Images
Passengers on the Victoria, Northern and Jubilee lines face a "tunnel screech", comparable to a nearby chainsaw or power tool

Londoners on three major Tube lines are experiencing "dangerous levels" of noise while on the Underground network, data suggests.

Passengers on the Victoria, Northern and Jubilee lines face a "tunnel screech" at levels of more than 100 decibels (dB) - louder than a nearby chainsaw or power tool.

Exposure to such sound intensity can cause hearing damage, as well as disturbing residents above ground.

According to the data, revealed by Transport for London (TfL) and the mayor of London's office, the network received 707 noise complaints over the past three years.

The majority of the complaints, more than 600, related to noise experienced inside Tube carriages and about 70 were about noise at stations.

Sound exposure is measured in carriages by calculating the average noise level over a specific period of time on each line.

Commuters on the Northern line faced up to 104dB in the worst periods, with travellers on the Victoria and Jubilee lines experiencing 102dB.

Those on the Hammersmith and City line, which runs entirely overground, fared best, with a maximum average noise level of 81dB, comparable to a hair dryer or vacuum cleaner.

Elly Baker, Labour's transport spokesperson on the London Assembly, said passengers "should not have to put up with excessive noise".

She said TfL's own data showed noise "was reaching dangerous levels" in parts of the network, which raised "serious questions about the conditions passengers are travelling in".

There are currently no statutory limits for passenger exposure to noise while travelling.

Causes include track curvature, the speed of the train, the spacing and condition of the sleepers, and the overall track form.

In July, London's mayor Sadiq Khan said the main cause of track noise was "rail corrugation" and that he had set aside £9m for "rail grinding" work to help mitigate this.

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