Morning:
14°c
Sorry, Tube station is closed... the trains are too screechy
Peter Dominiczak11.03.09
One of London's busiest Tube stations was partly closed during rush hour because the trains were too noisy.
Transport chiefs shut Bank's Central line platforms for 90 minutes last night after complaints that decibel levels from screeching rails were too high.
The closure left thousands of commuters facing severe delays just after 5.30pm. They described the decision as "madness".
Transport for London admitted the problem, caused by a lack of lubrication on the tracks, could have been prevented but could not say how loud the screeching was.
A noticeboard at the station told passengers Central line trains would not be stopping because of "technical difficulties".
Transport sources told the Evening Standard that London Underground staff had refused to work on the platforms because of the noise but TFL claimed the closure was prompted by passenger complaints.
John Cooper, a City lawyer, who was on his way to a meeting, said: "We were all thrown out of the station. A member of staff told me it was because the decibel levels were too high. It was complete madness. Thousands of people were stuck and it was utter confusion.
"Some people were just laughing when the staff told them what was going on. It is health and safety gone mad."
Steve Cooper, 47, who works at John Lewis in Oxford Street, was trying to get home to Basildon. He said: "Someone came over the Tannoy and said the Central line was being closed due to squeaky tracks.
"How bad can it possibly be to disrupt thousands of people on their way home during rush hour? The noise is noticeable at Bank, but you couldn't call it unbearable. It's more of an irritant, really.
"Why didn't they just leave it another hour or so and avoid all that chaos? After a hard day at work all you want to do is get home."
Receptionist Kate Ward, 22, was on her way from Oxford Street to Bank when the driver announced the train would not be stopping.
She said: "It seems very odd for platforms to be closed because of noise. I had to walk here from St Paul's to meet my brother for dinner. He got held up by the problems as well."
Campaigners said it was the first time they had heard of noise levels closing down services. Jo deBank, from London TravelWatch, said: "I've never heard of anything like this happening before. The noise must have been bad. However, it is certainly problematic to have such a busy station close during rush hour for something that sounds like it could have been easily avoided.
"It was incredibly disruptive for passengers during an extremely busy time in the evening."
TfL said platforms had been closed before because of noisy trains.
A spokesman said: "We closed the platforms because passengers were reporting that they could hear a loud screeching sound.
"It does happen from time to time. You have metal rails running on metal tracks and they need lubrication. It would have been better to solve the problem before rush hour but our emergency team were on the scene quickly and were able to get the line running again."
Reader views (49)
If TfL hadn't closed the station and someone -passenger or staff- got hurt (yes, your ears can get hurt), they would be in deep trouble.
But I think we are missing the point here: The question everyone should be asking is why weren't the tracks properly maintained? It's not like they don't know about this problem. Unfortunately, proper maintenance seems to be bottom of their priorities list at the moment...
I recently submitted a request under the FOI Act to TfL, asking a few questions about the Jubilee line maintenance, which has been dragging on and on with no apparent results. I've uploaded the full request here: http://daverants.clickforachange.com/freedom-of-information-act-and-the-jubilee-line/
- Dave, London, UK
I normally wear ear plugs now when travelling on the tube and especially so if i have to use the Central line through Bank. Being on the tube itself is noisy enough let alone on the platform. The high pitched screeching is enough to make my ears ring for some time afterwards, and i certainly dont wish to make them any worse than they already are (ringing in the ears is hearing damage albeit temporary), and i certainly wouldn't blame the staff (on this occasion)for not wishing to work in such conditions
- Martin, London
I can understand why some people think this sounds ridiculous, but unless you were there, it's hard to imagine just how unbearable it was. It was genuinely painful to be stood on the platforms that afternoon.
As for the lady complaining she had to walk to St Pauls for dinner - it's less than ten minutes away! Same for Liverpool Street.
- Caspar Aremi, London
Erm, Emma F - TfL are not a 'for profit' entity - they're a government body.
They're fully accountable to the Mayor, who in turn is accountable to the London Assembly and the wider electorate.
Please, get your facts straight.
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
I was on my way home on the central line on the afternoon of the 10th when the driver warned us it'd be noisy on the approach to Bank (coming in eastbound) - it was unpleasant, but not unbearable - however, this was inside the train. I can only imagine, a day later, what it must have been like on the platform if the problem had been allowed to get worse.
To all those complaining about 'health and safety gone mad' - it was pretty ear-splitting, bearable for a few seconds but I'd have struggled with much longer. Imagine sitting at your desks and listening to that all day, then question why the Underground staff might have not wanted to work through it?
Think about somebody else, for once. Having to walk to either St. Pauls or Liverpool Street once in a while is hardly a great sacrifice.
- Andrew M, Leytonstone
All the underground hate mob are at it again , moaning and groaning about LUL's incompetant staff, and TFL's poor management, you hate the underground so much? then walk!
The truth is despite the cosmetic exercise of painting stations, and nice new tiles, the system has been underinvested in for years by you, the public, u only get what you pay for, and yes fares are high, but because of years of under investment and low fares the chickens have come home to roost, and things like Bank and other minor inconveniences are a fact of life untill the system is fully modernised.
- Brian, Wiltshire
The trains could be run properly. As with any 'for-profit' entity, their goal is to make money - and you don't make money by performing timely maintenance and keeping our fares low. They'll squeeze us for every penny they can get and put as little back as they have to. And we'll moan and continue to use them and because we have no choice.
What I'd like to see is some accountability, but that is something that this country doesn't seem to do very well.
- Emma F, London
Bank station has ALWAYS been noisy due to the sharp curvature of the track to avoid the Bank of England vaults.
Perhaps its time to straighten this track as Gordon has sold the gold it was built to protect!!
DO NOT suggest Rubber tyres like they have in Paris as Boris will think about converting it to a road!!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
I was at Bank station at 430pm today - the screeching was so bad that everybody had their fingers in their ears - it was very uncomfortable and literally gave me an ear ache.
- Nikki, London
Oh,for the return of London Transport.
- Jason, Westminster
A bad and overpriced transport system has become part of the lifestyle here in Britain. The fares keep going up and up every year, the service keeps going down! It's stressful, chaotic, over-priced, over-crowded to use public transport and on the other hand, they want the nation to be green so we could 'save the environment,'( what a joke)! Some people use it because it's their only means of transportation, others use it because they are trying to save the planet. Most of us who know better use our cars because it's actually sometimes much more economical and better than leaving things at the mercy of the failed inefficient public transport system!
- Renee, London UK
the reason the line at bank central line screeches is the the fact the line is banked so steepley and its also an sharp bend into bank station they have had plenaty of time and years to make the line less curved into the station and to put automatic lub points on to the line
- Jair Sharp, london
Come on Mr. Mayor, fire these lazy staff. TFL should be getting better not WORSE!!
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Disney World does its maintenance at NIGHT so they can operate during the day in the service of the CUSTOMERS.
What a concept eh?
- Trunk, US
Natty, do you actually use the tube? I suppose not!
Various parts of the tube close daily, making our journeys hell - while we are paying the overpriced tickets!
We are not too lazy to walk - but closing Bank at rush hour, instead of sorting out the noise problem at, say, 3 pm, is just another example of Tfl loves inefficiency and disfunctionality! I sometimes wonder if they do this on purpose - run a lottery every morning to choose which line to close and why!
- Central Liner, London
The salient point is not whether it was too noisey or not, but that LU decided to close the station during rush hour. If it required maintenance work to fix the problem, then surely this can wait until after hours.
After all no one seemed to be bothered earlier in the day.
Like others have mentioned, the constant PA announcements and platform staff chivying you to "stand behind the yellow line" blah, blah is far more annoying. Then again I'm constantly ammazed at the bonkers/pathetic excuses LU comes up with to explain away the frequent disruptions we all have to suffer...
- Dave, Ealing, London, UK
If you overload an infrastructure and refuse to carry out yearly Capital investment ( as has not been done for 60 years until lately) you get inefficient service.
Back that up by an indolent and stupid staff, both lower, middle and certainly upper. you have a bugger up.
As with most New Labour governmental "policy" and action!
- Minnie Ovens, London, UK
I'm more annoyed by the noise of the constant announcements over the tannoy. At Old Street underground station there are continuous announcements, very loud so as to penetrate the iPods everone wears.
- Neil M., london uk,
Why worry about the noise now suddenly? I have used the central line for years and it has always been the screechiest; it's the curves.
Still rubbish though!
- Andy, London
I have to say, Bank station can be incredibly noisy at times, I have felt the need to stick my fingers in my ears it's sometimes so bad so I'm glad that staff took action. Not so impressed that maintanence staff were so inefficient that they couldn't actually apply the required lubricant to the track
- Mcw, London
I believe the French Metro has rubber surfaces on the wheels,can't you arrange something like that Boris ?
- David., Chertsey.UK.
The noise on this line at this station is incredibly loud. I remember attempting to take my baby daughtr on this line and she cried because the train screeched in.There is also a curved platform which must contribute. the noise issue is serious and TFL should take it seriously. the headline to this article tries to make a mockery of the noise but if you have waited for a train at bank on the central line then you would know its awful.
- Kh, London UK
By the looks of your comments, the majority of you dont really care about noise damanging hearing, or the poor members of staff at Bank station who have to put up with the sound for hours on end. All your concerned about is getting home quickly. Well Bank is quite closed to St. pauls and Liverpool Street - a few minutes walk in fact so what is the problem, or are you all too lazy? Do you really think that shutting the tube for 90 mins to sort out this problem so that TFL staff can actually work without risk of damanging their hearing is an inconvenience? I wonder whether you would feel the same if ear bleeding noises were screaming at you throughout the day in your work place? Have a thought for people who work on the tube, not just about yourselves
- Natty, London
I take the central line every day, and yesterday the noise was already very loud in the morning yesterday - so, surely Tfl could have done something before the rush hour.
That said, if the noise was too loud for the staff - maybe they should have left the platform. I don't understand their function anyway - repeating the same bothering announcements over and over - who needs that? NY, Paris and Milan metro can operate without them, why does London tube need them?
- Central Liner, London
All they need to do is provide mobile phone reception and the noise form the morons who talk incessantly an trains would drown out the squeaky rails.
- Bj, London
The solution to this if for LT to do something about the noise. I noticed this recently at Embankment going on the Northern Line (travelling north). This isn't a joke: noise at this sort of level can be really damaging to hearing and can cause tinnitus. If this was damaging to, say, eyesight, people would take it more seriously. But personally I value my hearing as much as my sight.
- Alan, London UK
Stopping the constant announcements would reduce noise considerably.
- Alan In Bow, London
As a frequent traveller through the Central line at Bank, I've found it very noisy, and often thought of the safety of the staff, who have to spend several hours on the platform.
It's ridiculous that the maintenance is so poor that it was allowed to happen, but ultimately exposure to sustained loud, high pitched noises could cause permanent damage to hearing, so I'd suggest that the tube bosses did the right thing here.
For all of the 'elf 'n'safety gone mad' crowd - I suggest that if you really dislike the regard and respect for workers' safety in this country, you go and find a job in a factory in a country without the same "health and safety" attitudes (try China). I think you'll soon find that "health and safety" is actually rather important thing...
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
Seems this was due to a lack of proper maintenance of the track. Therefore, despite TfL following rather dubious Health and Safety regulations and shutting the station they are responsible for the problem in the first place. As always it is the fare paying passengers that suffer.
- Peter Sellers, London
Compared to the Paris metro's rubber tyred trains London's tube deep lines are are ear splitting at the best of times so what do a few extra decibels matter.
- James, London England
Unlike previous posters I was actually on the Central Line platform yesterday afternoon and believe me the screeching was incredibly loud, unbearably loud in fact: I had to put my fingers in my ears, it was that bad. I've never been subjected to such noise levels on the tube before. And this is from someone who willingly attended what was the loudest rock concert in the world, the Who at Charlton!
- Leytonstoner, London England
"...metal RAILS on metal TRACKS..."??? "...wheels...", surely?
- Matt, Hounslow
"Thousands of people were stuck and it was utter confusion."
John Cooper, City Lawyer.
OK, it's a nonsense, and probably a real pain for people that wanted to get off for the Northern Line, but it is a maximum 10 minutes walk to either St. Pauls or Liverpool Street, so it is far from being stuck.
- Escobar A-Lop-Lop, Camden County
What next,are we to expect some kind of muffler system be fitted to our emergency vehicles? Schhhhh!
- Colin, Bristol
When I used to get the tube from central line at Bank daily the noise from the tracks was regularly and genuinely painful to the ears - remarkably loud when the trains came around the bend immediately before the station. I often thought that this could cause damage to my ears and certainly to the ears of staff working on the platforms who had no break from it.
If you heard the noise and thought about the staff then you would understand. It is not the fault of the platform staff that those who manage maintenance of the track are apparently too incompetent to ensure the track is properly maintained.
The decision is not "health & safety gone mad" - it's privatisation tube maintenance not working.
- Saunaing Tic Gill, London
Everyone is so sensitive! I think we should just wrap everybody up in bubble wrap.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Kate Ward had to walk from St Paul's to Bank?
It's a five minute walk. So what?
- Stu, Beckton
Depends where on the platform you were standing I guess but it was extremely high pitched when I went through earlier and I did wonder if it would damage peoples hearing so am not too surprised the LU staff didn't want to be standing on the platforms for several hours.
- John, London
It looks as if someone has misunderstood the safety regulations. People often think there is an absolute limit on sound level, but unless the sound level is extremely high (higher than likely from screeching rails) the limit depends on the duration of exposure as well as the level. As the noisy periods from trains will be relatively short, the average sound level is unlikely to be extremely high. Anyway the law allows the sound to be averaged over a whole week's work.
- Tony W, London UK
TfL idiots? Extreme? Actually they have to implement the law, which is of course an EU Directive. Failure to do so can lead to unlimited fines etc etc. It may seem idiotic and disproportionate to you, but what you think (sadly) has no impact. We cannot change that law here. Only the European Union can, and it will not. But blaming TfL for implementing the (EU) law is maybe a little harsh...
- Damian Hockney, London, UK
OK Mr Summers, do you want to try and do a better job?
- John, Nunhead
TfL travellers have come to expect this type of station-closing-for-the-slightest-reason. Isn't it up to the customer to choose whether he/she travels from a noisy station? Apparently not -- as we live more and more in a nanny-state.
- Phil Jones, London UK
It would take a lot for them to close Bank tube station to be honest.
If the dB levels were high enough they could cause serious permanent damage to your ear's!
- Serox, London
Why do we pay so many high salaries to the idiots at Transport for London? The organisation is an embarrassment.
- Neil Summers, London
It wasn't that noisy! I was travelling on the central line at around 17:10 from Holborn to Liverpool St. I was reading a book and did not notice any real difference in the volume of noise.
Shutting down the central line for 90 minutes seems very extreme.
- Dean, Essex
No wonder this Country is in such a mess what with no swimming when it rains,chaos on travel when it snows etc now this.We need someone now to put a stop to this sillyness
- Mike, London England
The Central Line is run by Metronet. Just thought I'd throw that in. Presumably they forgot to lubricate the sharp curve that avoids the Bank of England vaults. The ultimate boss of Metronet is now Boris Johnson, of course, but he prefers electric sportscars and is currently in Cannes.
- Tom, London, UK
So what. No-one is there long enough to be affected.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
Kind of weird. But hey, Oxford Circus is dangerously busy outside on the street at night when everyone is trying to get on the tube after work. Many a time have there been near crushes. And yet never any crowd control or police??
I hear the Bakerloo may be extended? how about down to Lewisham via the old kent road, seems a no brainer?!
- Tom Barker, Rotherhithe
