Why do I hear trains more at night?

At night, the air near the ground can have a different temperature than air only a few hundred feet above1. This affects the transmission of sound waves. There is usually less ambient noise after dark, so the distant train sounds louder. As pointed out elsewhere, maybe the trains don't use the horn in daytime.



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The intensity of sound will vary at night, sometimes louder and sometimes softer. It has to do with the height and strength of a temperature inversion just above the ground. On clear, calm nights, it is cooler at the ground than higher up.

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Atmospheric ducting can cause the air to continue to transmit sound over a larger distance than usual when the air is very still. If other noises around are quieter than usual (not much traffic, very few people outside etc) then the sound will be louder by comparison.

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The reason that trains honk their horns so much at night is because it's dark and the trains aren't so easy to see. Even though the lights are on, we sometimes can't see them coming, especially around the many blind curves near or ahead of the train station.

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Noise pollution and vibrations are some of the biggest concerns, particularly for people who live within one-third of a mile of railroads or railyards, says Natalia Caldeira Loss Vincens, an expert in public health at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

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“People assume that trains are loud, but that assumption is based on the fact that when a train's gone past them in a station it's noisy. That's because the noise a train makes is mainly projected to either side. When trains are moving directly towards you they are barely audible–until it's too late.”

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Sound travels about 15 times faster in iron (or steel) than in air. So, sound travels much faster through the railway track made of steel than through air. That is why we can hear the sound of an approaching train even when the train is far off but its sound cannot be heard through the air. Q.

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Sound travels fastest through solids and slowest through air. So the sound waves sent by the train on the track reaches the human ear faster through the train track than the air. The sound reaches us more slowly through air.

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While securing all your belongings with these techniques might give you peace of mind… never have peace of mind. Always be alert. Sleeping is fine (it is a night train after all) but don't ever inhibit yourself further by dosing up on sleeping pills or drinking excessively on the train.

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If you're going on a long train journey, you may want to choose a sleeper car option so you'll have more privacy and will arrive more refreshed at your destination. For shorter journeys, make sure to stay aware of your surroundings. If you don't feel safe falling asleep, then don't attempt it.

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