Beeping trams keep local residents awake: ‘very disturbing’

The noise is so loud that watching television with the window open or sleeping is impossible. They already reported the problem to De Lijn, but there is no solution yet. Luc De Schrijver: “The problem is in fact the squeaking when the tram turns, and the squeaking of the tracks that have changed at the time, where the tram sleepers have been converted from wood to iron.”

How loud the beep sounds exactly depends from tram driver to tram driver, but the weather also plays its role. In any case, the noise is very disturbing for the local residents. “We hear that noise from half past five in the morning until one o’clock at night, every ten minutes. It is very disturbing. It has a very high noise that several people cannot sleep here.”

No hearing at De Lijn

Luc and his wife have already reported the problem to De Lijn themselves, but they say they received no response. So they contacted the municipality. “We have already filed a complaint with the municipality and they have told us that there are already many complaints. They advise us to contact De Lijn.”

However, De Lijn introduced a special lubrication system three years ago, but the local residents seem to notice little of this. “A solution was promised to grease the tram tracks more regularly, but apparently that is not happening. And they were going to make a sprinkler at the bottom of the tram with the new tram system. But the problem is still not solved.”

Although Luc sees another solution. “We absolutely don’t want the tram to leave. Maybe they can stop the tram, and let it go back to the other side instead of taking that bend, like in another terminal station.”

Response The Line

At De Lijn they speak of a known problem. According to them, it is nothing exceptional and the noise occurs wherever trams run. The main culprit seems to be the warm weather. The sound is caused by contact between the tram’s wheels and the tracks, i.e. metal on metal. Due to the warm weather of the last few days, the sound is now extra audible.

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