Request ID: FOI-0522-2122 Date published: 26 July 2021
You asked
Please can you confirm if there have been any upgrade works to the line before the Rayners Lane station behind the Apple Grove estate. In the past several months I have noticed an increased high pitched noise lasting about 5-10 seconds which sounds like metal on metal screeching in a winding circular pattern. This noise appears every few minutes and can be heard all around the development where I live but was not been present when I moved in in 2019.
Are you able to tell me if there has been any work, defects or anything else which may contribute to this increased/new presence of noise? I strongly believe it maybe the tube because I can hear the tube itself come into the station and the noise tends to corollate with the tube arriving/departing from Rayners Lane
Thanks
We answered
TfL Ref: 0522 - 21/22
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 June 2021 asking for information about upgrade works to the Metropolitan line before Rayners Lane station Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked if there has been any upgrade works to the Metropolitan line before the Rayners Lane station behind the Apple Grove estate as in the past several months there has been an increased high pitched noise lasting about 5-10 seconds which sounds like metal on metal screeching in a winding circular pattern. This noise appears every few minutes and can be heard all around the estate but was not been present in 2019. You also asked if there has been any work, defects or anything else which may contribute to this increased/new presence of noise which you strongly believe to be related to the tube because the tube itself can be heard coming into the station and the noise tends to corollate with the tube arriving/departing from Rayners Lane. Firstly, I am sorry that you are experiencing disturbance and noise. The screeching noise you have described is likely to be from the train going round a curve of the track in that location.
We have not completed any works in the area that has changed the track configuration or layout recently (since at least 2019 to date) apart from a small amount of re-ballast and hand tamping works to solve a voiding fault but this would not cause the noise you describe: (Note: voiding is where we have gaps in the ballast which if left will cause excessive movement of track components like the sleepers. Hand tamping is when we use vibrating hand tools to compact the ballast to remove the voids).
However, some rail grinding took place last weekend 19th / 20th June on both Metropolitan line tracks between Rayners Lane and Eastcote. The rail grinding should help solve the screeching noise, although it is not unusual for there to be some noise immediately following grinding works as wheels sets “bed in” with the new track surface as grinding adjusts the wheel rail interface. This is likely to last for a short period which could be a matter of hours or a couple of days.
Grinding of the rail is done for a number of reasons but mainly as a preventative maintenance activity as was the case here. It was not done to deal with any known problems but to reprofile the rail head which extends the life of the rail by providing a smoother contact patch between wheel and rail head, removing any surface irregularities and also hardens the surface to reduce wear. It is an activity that is carried out across the network on a rolling annual program.
We would advise if the noise continues, that you contact our customer services and they can request a survey at the property to determine the cause of the noise. Information on how what we do to reduce noise and vibration along with the contact details to report tube noise is available at the following link on our website: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/corporate-and-social-responsibility/reducing-noise-and-vibration
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
