[katpasin]

Originally Posted by gsurya

Write to the Railway ministry - they are not supposed to be honking in residential areas without reason.

Install double soundproofed windows like Fenesta.. but yes then your ventilation is gone.. you will need to use a split AC..

You can install sound dampers on your society boundary wall that faces the railway tracks... but thats for the sound.. not the honking

Actually - If i write to the railways, i would write about sealing off both sides of the track. There are boundary walls on either sides, but localities have broken about 2 feet of the wall to go through and cross the tracks

To solve that too... maybe build a foot over bridge, as there is no crossing to the other side for more than a kilometer in heart of the city(Brahmanwadi, Begumpet, Hyderabad)

Hope i am not asking too much

Originally Posted by Samurai

Which came first, the residential area or the railway track? Trains don't honk for no reason, it is an important safety requirement.

The only workable option is to install sound barriers to separate the track from the residential area. Something for the local officials to consider.

The tracks were first, residential area - second and the Metro(every 10 minutes) trains - third...

Originally Posted by tharian

How long since you have been staying at this place?
I am asking because , over time, you get used to it. When it comes to phone calls and talking, you need to do something from your part like, sound proofing , closing all windows.
Don't even think of going to the Railways with this, they will make a mockery out of the whole thing since there is no restriction for a train to not honk. It is not like a vehicle on the road where the horn is used for everything possible.
Trains use the horn basically to warn people and animals on the track and if your house is next to a station, you will hear it more because they will honk every time they move.

I have been staying around the same distance as you from a very busy railway line for the last 17 years and my room is facing the line. Since I am used to it and more because I like trains, I have no complaints.

Regards

Actually i am very much used to it... now i would not even wake up at nights even if my bed gets stolen from under me...

I was actually looking at a legal angle to give a warning(thats all i can do)... was checking Noise pollution acts in India... these train horns go upwards of 100 db from 50 meter away... might be close to the limits...

Originally Posted by JayPrashanth

From your work perspective, perhaps you could consider sound proofing one room thoroughly.

Cheers,

Jay

I have to do Work from home... and 4-5 hrs of calls a day... these horns are so bad, that i need to stop talking and mute my phone... Sound proofing is still an option... will move to over for options on that front very soon on this thread...

Originally Posted by pjbiju

You can also get a soundproof cabin which is usually used by recording artists installed in your home. It can be very compact and will not cost you a lot. This can be used while working from home - you will have to talk to people who set up recording studios.

Actually planning to get my bedroom soundproofed.. about 36ft of windows and 20 fr door...

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

When you say house, is it a flat in a multistoreyed apartement or is it an individual house on the ground floor. If you are in a multistoreyed apartment, then there is no option but to sound proof your rooms. If in a ground floor house, then you can try planting some shrubs or trees with heavy foliage around the house. They can dampen the sound to a great degree.

Its a 125 flat apartment, and my flat facing the tracks...
hmm...

[TheG2]

Dear Katpasin,
That's not a good situation to be in. Sadly there is only little you can do in this case. And all that can be done only with respect to sound proofing your own place because writing to railways will make no noise at their end

Best,

[Guite]

Yeah, sound proof your room if you can. Move over to the home makeover thread for guidance, if you need. There are expensive options that can give you reduction of 45 db or more.

[zwift1819]

The only option left for you would be to go in for double glazed windows which means 2 glasses joined together with a vacuum created in between the 2 glasses. Go in for 6mm+12mm airgap+6mm clear glasses. However please note that this will NOT reduce sound completely but only to an extent but still it will be better than a single glass which you currently have. Also ensure your bedroom doors are atleast 24mm thick to avoid sound coming in from your other rooms into your bedroom.

[vnabhi]

@katpasin--even I stay 100 meters from the railway track, close to Necklace Road Station. All trains generally honk when passing, owing to a steep curve in the tracks leading to the station and then to a level crossing opposite Raj Bhavan. They have another valid reason to honk: the tracks pass through a slum in that area, and people often keep crossing the tracks. Only saving grace is that not all trains go to Hyderabad Deccan station.

I've got used to it. Earlier, i was staying close to the Begumpet airport and had to bear with jet engine sounds. The worst was from a Boeing 737. Compared to that, train horns are less disturbing.

Another saving grace is that the horns sound less disturbing than at another bhpian's house nearby, adjacent to Villa Marie college. Since his flat is perched on a small hill, the sound is a lot more there.

[Equus]

There was a case wherein a senior citizen came under the train during his morning walk as he had headphones in his ears and didnt hear the train noise. It was in the papers too, about a year ago or so (near Mathikere in Bangalore). So its very much essential :(

[WanderNomad]

Slight OT: my Dad has recently invested in a flat for me in Delhi which is close to the airport and every 5 mins there is a disturbing (if not deafening) sound.

I am all for selling the flat for multiple reasons and this is one of them. The thread strengthens my thought process.

[Dieseltuned]

Railways do have certain honking rules, If there is an unmanned level crossing, then it is cumpolsory for the train driver to honk. there will be special sign boards put up at such points where honking is mandatory. These sign boards have written "W/L" in english or "See/Fa" in hindi.

"W/L" means "Whistle level crossing" which translates to "Seeti (whistle) Fatak (See/Fa) in hindi.

If your home is anywhere near such spot then the train drivers are under a mandate to honk.

other than this if the train track passes through a densely populated area, then the drivers do honk as a precutionary measure to avoid accidental deaths.

I would suggest, please work on sound proofing your work area, it is always better than petioning the railways.

[hellmet]

Originally Posted by katpasin

Actually planning to get my bedroom soundproofed.. about 36ft of windows and 20 fr door...

If and when you embark on the project, please do send me a PM. I'm unable to continue to tolerate the multiple sources of noise near my apartment. I was initially planning for double-glazed windows, but mildly sound proofing it might be a good idea. Do let me know!

[katpasin]

I guess i cannot do anything about the honking trains... So planning on things in my control...

1. Already have a Plantronics blackwire C620 for my calls. Lets see thow far this can cancel background noise.

2. Replace current wooden frame windows with upvc ones(Cheaper the better)...

Did some research over the past few days and came up with these on the net. Some of the prices data are actually older than a year... so may have changed now.

Fenesta - Rs700-2000 per sft
Fimen - Rs500-550 per sft
LG UPVC - korean-10 yr warranty- 40% cheaper thn fenesta
Lingel upvc - german- Rs400-500 for 2 trac and 500-700 for 3 track per sft

If anyone has got these installed(or any other brand), please share your views on how effective they are with outdoor noise and cost....

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by katpasin

1. Already have a Plantronics blackwire C620 for my calls. Lets see thow far this can cancel background noise..

If you are evaluating noise cancelling headphones, then check out the Bose India website for the Quiet Comfort series, particularly QC15 and QC20.

Cheers,
Vikram

[theMAG]

Depends on what came first really. Was a new railway line installed through an established residential area or have residences come up around an existing railway track?

Typically in a country like India - with lax housing regulations and an out-of-control urban population density, builders chose to be agnostic over the locations of their projects - since they know their projects would be sold out anyway. If your case is this, then realistically, the railways cannot be blamed for doing their work.

Earplugs would be an effective quick-fix regardless.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by katpasin

2. Replace current wooden frame windows with upvc ones(Cheaper the better)...

If you are really looking at noise insulation in the magnitude of a train horn, cheaper will not be better. You need sufficiently thick frames: thicker the better. Thicker = more costly. You will also need double glass. A hotel near New Delhi railway station did triple glass. Moreover, try to avoid sliding, choose side hung window: it will close much more tightly than sliding.

[katpasin]

Originally Posted by Guite

If you are really looking at noise insulation in the magnitude of a train horn, cheaper will not be better. You need sufficiently thick frames: thicker the better. Thicker = more costly. You will also need double glass. A hotel near New Delhi railway station did triple glass. Moreover, try to avoid sliding, choose side hung window: it will close much more tightly than sliding.

Isn't the concept of soundproofing = air-proofing.... If the windows are airtight, sound cannot travel into the room? Any other factors at play?

[Guite]

Originally Posted by katpasin

Isn't the concept of soundproofing = air-proofing.... If the windows are airtight, sound cannot travel into the room? Any other factors at play?

No, it is not. Your car with AC on recirculate mode is practically airtight but is not sound proof.

There are two ways to sound proof: absorb and/or reflect. The former is achieved with soft materials and later with hard material. In case of a window you do not have any choice of soft material; all materials used - glass and UPVC / aluminium - are hard materials. It reflects sound but because the material is thin it allows some sound to pass through. So that's why thicker the better.

Double glass would be a must if you want any substantial sound proofing. If the frame material is thin you can stuff soft material in the hollow frames and pack it tight. This can be glass wool or even cloth. It's going to be tedious work.