# How far do you live from train tracks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008 "2013-07-31T18:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/1 "2013-07-31T18:48:17Z")
Thinking back over the various places I’ve lived, it seems I’ve never been more than 5 miles from train tracks. Freight trains, commuter trains, I’ve been near both. At one point I was right above the biggest railyard in the country. Listening to trains being humped all night lead me to be able to sleep through anything! So how far away are you? Can you sleep through the noise? Would you miss the trains if you moved? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/2 "2013-07-31T18:51:55Z")
About a quarter-mile away. They only come through twice a day, though, in the late morning and early evening, so it’s never a real problem. Yes, I’d miss it if I moved away. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/3 "2013-07-31T18:54:37Z")
One block from a major commuter/freight rail line running into Chicago. No complaints, really. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/4 "2013-07-31T19:02:54Z")
About 700 metres (or 10 minutes walk) from the nearest railway line/station. Far enough so that we don’t hear the trains, but close enough to catch the trains when we want to (as I will in about an hour from now). ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/5 "2013-07-31T19:17:12Z")
There is one line about a quarter mile to the south of me and and under half a mile to the west is the terminus station of another line. (The lines do not connect: not anywhere near here, at any rate.) They are both busy commuter lines. I don’t think either line carries much freight, just passengers, but they are real trains, not light rail. I do not hear the trains from my place. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/6 "2013-07-31T19:19:29Z")
about a mile - close enough that at night I can easily hear the horn. My last apartment was about a quarter-mil from the tracks. I’m also right at a mile from the closest subway station - on a really quiet day/night you can hear those trains, though they’re much quieter. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/7 "2013-07-31T19:19:30Z")
About 30 miles. I don’t hear trains at all. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/8 "2013-07-31T19:22:28Z")
150 feet. Right across the street from the Green Line El. Doesn’t bother me one bit. even with the windows open, unless of course a huge freight train comes by at breakneck speed on the adjacent track. that makes a bit of a racket. Luckily that’s a fairly rare (maybe twice a month) occurrence. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/9 "2013-07-31T19:23:50Z")
3 blocks away there are tracks at the edge of my neighborhood. The nearest crossing is two streets over, we never hear the trains themselves but if we’re in the backyard and it’s very quiet sometimes we can hear the whistle as they cross. Doesn’t bother us in the slightest. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/10 "2013-07-31T19:24:27Z")
I’m about five miles from CSX/Amtrak lines. Might hear a horn once in a great while but that’s about it. OTOH, my first year in the New Orleans area was about 200 feet from the north/south runway at the international airport. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/11 "2013-07-31T19:27:17Z")
My last place, about 150 yards. Rattled window panes just a tad, but got used to it. Now, about 2.5 miles. Can only hear the whistle at night when it’s still. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/12 "2013-07-31T19:27:29Z")
Across the street but it’s also behind some trees. I’ve seen trains using it but I have yet to be woken up or even notice it when I’m in my apartment. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/13 "2013-07-31T19:28:30Z")
Roughly measuring using Google Maps, I live about 600 ft from a freight line. I enjoy the sound of it in the night, except when I am awakened disoriented and don’t know whether I’m hearing a train or a tornado. How _did_ people describe the sound of a tornado before their were freight trains? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/14 "2013-07-31T19:36:20Z")
About one mile west, and down a couple of hundred feet. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/15 "2013-07-31T19:38:20Z")
It is about 200 miles to the end of the rail line south of Yaguarmas, Cuba near Cienfuegos. That’s a bit out of earshot. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/16 "2013-07-31T19:39:16Z")
Probably 10 miles. Maybe 2 or 3 times a year I’ll be inconvenienced by one during a commute to or from work, but it’s rare. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/17 "2013-07-31T19:45:16Z")
About 40 metres from the track, and about 400 metres from a station. Because of the positioning of my villa (there are two other units and a road between me and the railway line) the noise is not an aggravating issue at all. Actually, it can be quite comforting to hear that lonely TOOOOOOOT first thing in the morning…who needs an alarm clock? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/18 "2013-07-31T19:45:36Z")
I’m about 10 miles from the train tracks. South Florida isn’t big on trains. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/19 "2013-07-31T19:48:25Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Actually, it can be quite comforting to hear that lonely TOOOOOOOT first thing in the morning… I, too, enjoy that first long toot of the morning. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/20 "2013-07-31T19:50:34Z")
About 600’ to the commuter rail tracks - the trains run mostly morning and evening but don’t have any grade crossings so no whistles. I can hear them but it barely registers. About 3/4 mile to the subway station in Harvard Sq. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008.md?page=2)