92% of Marylebone residents surveyed disturbed by Tube noise and vibrations

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Over 90% of residents recently surveyed in the Marylebone area say they are disturbed by noise and vibrations from the Tube, with some experiencing both. The results also found that 87% of local residents surveyed are either “very concerned” or “a little bit concerned” that introduction of the Night Tube would make noise disturbance worse.

I launched the survey after being contacted by a number of residents in the Baker Street area whose lives are being disrupted by increasing noise and vibration from tube trains running under their homes.  Local residents responding to my survey reported pictures shifting on walls, rattling windows and even shaking beds caused by vibrations from the underground, with one respondent saying:

“Even though being on the top fifth floor, over the past year the noise has become more noticeable. Due to the late running of the service I have to wear ear plugs to get to sleep. It is going to be an absolute nightmare when night service is introduced.”

The survey results come after an internal TfL risk assessment for Night Tube, obtained by the Times newspaper via a Freedom of Information request, revealed residents living near to tube tracks or stations are likely to face significant increases in noise disturbance when the Night Tube is introduced. The risk assessment stated that the nuisance noise could result in a “reduction in quality of life of residents through disturbed sleep” and even “threats of suicide.”

TfL should use the delayed introduction of the Night Tube to repair all the identified sections of track and should set up a ‘noise-busters’ team to ensure noisy sections of track are quickly identified in future and prioritised for replacement or maintenance.

The survey results clearly show the extent of the problem. This isn’t just a bit of noise effecting residents on the ground floor every now and then. This is a constant and significant disruption even for people living five storeys above the tracks. Many residents said that the noise and vibration has increased in the past couple of years and it’s a real worry that TfL can’t get this sorted.

Marylebone residents desperately need some respite from these continuous disturbances. Setting up a noise-busters team to respond to complaints and quickly identify and fix noisy sections of Night Tube tracks would go a long way to making life better for Londoners living near tube lines.”

You can read the full survey results here:  Tube noise survey results

 

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