# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/21 "2013-07-31T20:07:44Z")
I could walk to them in less than 2 minutes if I didn’t live on a street that was shaped like a crazy straw. Last house I lived on the hill the same tracks are on formed the back edge of the property. Sleeping through the train was never an issue, but watching TV or listening to music while in the other house was a pain. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/22 "2013-07-31T20:12:15Z")
I’m about fifteen miles away from Metro tracks now, but where I grew up, we were within a quarter mile of three different railroad crossings for freight trains. The only thing separating our house and the tracks was a small cornfield, and my elementary school was right next to the tracks. At the beginning of every year, we would start counting the number of trains that went by per day (before we got tired of counting around October). It usually averaged out to ten or twelve trains just during the school hours, so there are about twenty a day. When I away went to summer camp for the first time, it was a little weird never hearing trains go by. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/23 "2013-07-31T20:21:16Z")
1/2 mile. I hear them often but easily ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/24 "2013-07-31T20:26:11Z")
They run under my building. If you sit still you can feel it when the B train goes by. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/25 "2013-07-31T20:27:59Z")
Let’s see. There’s a rail yard approximately 1/3 mile east of me. There’s an elevated CTA line about 3/4 mile south of me, as well as a freight line below it. If I walk due west, there is another rail line 3/4 mile there, as well. If I walk due north, I hit another freight line as well as Metra communer rail in about 3/4 mile. So, yeah, I’m surrounded by trains. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/26 "2013-07-31T20:29:19Z")
Just under two miles from a freight line. I learned from the town planner that, on average, 130 trains go through per day. It’s striking to me that I never notice hearing anything during the day, but often hear them at night (I like it, it’s neat). Are things in the neighborhood that much quieter at night? ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/27 "2013-07-31T20:32:40Z")
About 750 feet from the nearest elevated track, 800 feet from the nearest CTA station, and maybe 825 feet from the nearest Metra commuter station. I can hear them when I have my windows open, but it doesn’t really disturb my sleep. There are no whistles, but sometimes I hear the pleasant “Ding Dong…doors closing” recording from the el trains. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/28 "2013-07-31T20:41:48Z")
I’m about 1/4 mile from a shared right-of-way (VTA Light Rail and Union Pacific). I rarely hear noise from either one. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/29 "2013-07-31T20:51:17Z")
25 metres (80 feet) from a busy commuter line. And about 200 metres from the nearest station, so there’s plenty of braking and accelerating noise. In the previous house I lived in, the suburb was surrounded by tracks, between 1 and 2 km from the house in every direction. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/30 "2013-07-31T20:59:57Z")
We live maybe 2½ miles from the nearest tracks. We hear the night train if we have the widows open. I love it. Always reminds me of the Paul Simon song “Train in the Distance”. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/31 "2013-07-31T21:30:44Z")
Roughly 20 miles from a virtually abandoned line to the east/south and about the same distance to the west to a re-opened short touristy train. Only thing I hear is coyotes. And F’-in’ roosters. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/32 "2013-07-31T21:34:46Z")
About half a mile to the nearest section of track, but about two miles to the nearest station (I walk there and back every day on my work commute) I can hear the trains from home, but it’s fairly faint and distant, even if it’s a big freight train - it doesn’t bother me. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/33 "2013-07-31T21:48:21Z")
I live about 7 or 8 kilometres from the train tracks, yet I can still occasionally hear trains. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/34 "2013-07-31T21:49:15Z")
Across the alley and up one story from the Red and Purple El tracks. It’s getting quieter since they’ve started rolling out the new Red Line trains. Instead of a clunky, “cachunka-chunk” sound, they make a sort of metallic whooshing noise that’s much softer. Now if they’d just get new ones for the Purple Line, which is the closest track to me and is usually going faster, so louder, but I only notice it during the couple of rushiest rush hours around 5-7 in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/35 "2013-07-31T21:53:45Z")
I suppose about a mile. At a previous residence, the tracks ran ~10 yards outside the window; fortunately the tracks were only used twice a week. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/36 "2013-07-31T21:56:38Z")
If I walk 1 mile, I’ll have crossed three sets of train tracks, hitting the first about 1/4 mile in. Doesn’t bother me at all because I’m not close enough to hear the noise. What I do hear all the time is the bus line, as I live on the corner of a major road, but that still doesn’t bother me. I find background noise strangely comforting. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/37 "2013-07-31T22:05:02Z")
About 1.5 miles (2.2 km) from my house to the nearest street crossing of the freight tracks that run through Boulder. Trains come through a few times a day, including, usually, one in the middle of the night. Mostly just hear the horn in the distance when we have the windows open (during all non-daylight hours in the summer). Never been a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/38 "2013-07-31T22:09:53Z")
Half a mile, but I only hear them if I’m somehow outside after midnight. Other times the traffic in between drowns their sounds out. Although in the interests of full disclosure, I used to live in an apartment whose front door was less than 100 feet from a train track. And I used to wonder if the trains ever came by at night. Then I pulled an all-nighter to finish a report and discovered that not only did trains come by, they coupled and uncoupled right there by the apartment. It was amazingly loud, but I had always slept through it, and I continued to sleep through it after knowing that it happened. My capacity to ignore things is mighty. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/39 "2013-07-31T22:21:53Z")
A Union Pacific freight-only line is about a mile and a half to the east, with a branch about the same distance due south. I can hear the horns blowing for road crossings and and, if I listen carefully, the locomotives themselves, but nowhere near loud enough to be disturbing. Except for a couple years each in Denver and in southern California, I’ve always lived within earshot of a railroad. I find it comforting to hear that lonesome whistle blow, late at night. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008/40 "2013-07-31T23:11:31Z")
I was thinking about this awhile back and realized I’ve never lived anywhere out of hearing range of trains. Nothing loud or annoying, but always audible at times, at least in the distance when I’m outdoors. Kind of neat. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-do-you-live-from-train-tracks/665008.md?page=3)