Train noise and fumes

Hello All,

Everyone interested in solving the trains problem please call now:

Environmental Health office 01296 585605

There is already dedicated lady who deals with this problem

The more complains we generate the better impact we may have.

Please call ASAP

Regards

Chris

This is the report commission into the noise levels of the railway tracks in Oct 2004

http://publicaccess.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/online-applications/files/FF7882684F66A561C731DD9AA95C2446/pdf/document-135253.pdf

Its pretty dull but I thought I'd post here in case it was useful if anyone does decide to have it out with Chiltern Railways. I figure if we know about the report we can be forearmed if they turn round and say "well its within acceptable guidelines"

Should anyone decide to take up letter writing again post it here - perhasp we could co-ordinate a mass mailing and irrate them a bit.

On a completely different note the archeology report carried out before they started building the Square is also on the Public Access planning site and I'm glad to say while people lived here lived here peacefully for hundreds of years prior to CR coming along we are definately not built on a burial ground!

Regarding the get-together Conrad, I know Steve has been trying to get a residents association together for a while now with the impending end of contract with Countrywide coming up, however im not sure there was a brilliant response from residents willing to attend the meetings/help out. Steve, perhaps a "sticky" at the top of the threads and a mass mail now we have had an increase in numbers would help to get more people on board?

view https://viridiansquareayles.forumotion.co.uk/open-forum-f1/residents-association-t22.htm

Hi all,

My wife and I moved into the Circle Anglia Block (C?) in May, and like others here, have found the continual running of the trains at the back during the night to be annoying to say the least!

As far as solutions are concerned, it's not going to be easy, but it can be resolved: the same issue occured when these Diesel Units were introduced in 1991/2 - the residents of Lisson Grove in Marylebone made the same complaints, finally forcing British Rail (as it was then) to amend its operations.

I am in the process of finding out the following information about the engines:
1) fuel consumption at idling speed;
2) fuel consumption during start-up process;
3) engine emissions;
4) decibels / vibration at idling speed.

Hopefully, the first two items can demonstrate the money-saving potential to Chiltern Railways for amending the current practice; the third and fourth items could otherwise help us force the issue on grounds of noise and physical pollution.

Although these units are almost 20 years old, there is no discernable need to leave the engines idling throughout the night - the drivers often switch off the engines upon arrival at Aylesbury and Marylebone Station platforms during the day (I commute, hence why I know). If they need to leave an engine running for maintenance / testing reasons (see the post about Chiltern Railways' response), then it should be done where the facilities have been provided for such work - Aylesbury or Wembley maintenance depots; the sidings at Aylesbury are for stabling vehicles, not for carrying out maintenance or testing work.

I'll communicate the technical info once I have it, but perhaps then we can get together and draft a common statement as to what we would find acceptable? If we do this individually, we may never get the resolution we would all like. Hopefully, a sensible, 'cost-savings benefit to your business' approach will win the day, but if not, we may have to use the public health/planning issues as the secondary route.

Posted from another topic:

With regards to the trains - the railway at the back of block C during the day is fine. The passing trains are not very loud. It's at night it becomes a problem, because Chiltern Railways for some unknown reason park up 4 or 6 engines and leave them running every night of the year, all night. The vibration is a sinusoidal drone that vibrates through the whole square. I am in block B, which is not next to the railway, but I still feel and hear it every night. That said, I have got better used to it and it doesn't disturb me like it did for the first few months. The worse problem is the exhaust fumes. I can't open my windows ever - the diesel fumes are unbearable - and I am not next to the railway.

If your thinking of buying, I suggest you come some time after 1030 and see what you think before you buy.

Hello:

I tried to investigate this back around May 2009, before this forum began. I wrote to Chiltern Rail after I had confirmed that between 6 and 8 engines are left idling every night of the year behind block C (Shared ownership / Circle Anglia). This I am sure is bad for block C and I know a number of buyers have been put off by it. It's not just the noise, but the fumes. I am at the top of block B and I cannot open my windows at night because partly the noise, but otherwise because my flat fills with diesel fumes.

Chiltern Railways response (I can't remember if this was in writing, I'll see if I can dig it up) was that they 'had to' leave them running for maintenance. But they were not very specific and I find it difficult to believe that in this day and age it is an effective use of energy and in fact truly necessary to leave engines running 24/7 - it sounds archaic to me, and probably a general habit of the industry.

I extended my search for information, and found that it doesn't just happen here; it happens up and down the country and seems to be a norm. But nonetheless, I don't find this acceptable. If you Google the issue you will find many who feel the same way, but there is little co-ordination.

I started to dig into Chiltern Railways even further, but then they stopped communicating and told me to contact x person, y person, and so on until I came to a dead end. I was lead down the garden path and out the back gate, as it were. I got nowhere.

I believe this sort of issue is one that a Residents Association would be well equipped to investigate and perhaps find resolution. See this post:

https://viridiansquareayles.forumotion.co.uk/viridian-square-f1/residents-association-t22.htm#102

I sympathise with you Sue, i doubt chiltern would change for us to be honest. Ive got used to the trains on tickover now and dont notice them - its the gits that decide to use their horns at stupid hours that wind me up!

Hello All,
Its 8.33am on a Sunday morning and I am listening to the nice rumbling sound of the trains....Does anyone know if they are "allowed" to leave the trains running all night?
Is there anything we can do in terms of asking Chiltern Railways to stop leaving them running - why can they not leave them running closer to the Vale Park Station where there are no houses/ flats right near the flats?

That said, love living here - would just be nice if I could sleep with the window open!

Thanks