Edmontonians call for city to silence 'nails on a chalkboard' noise from Valley Line trains
City says tracks are being greased, and other mitigation measures in the works
Some Edmonton residents living near the city's Valley Line Southeast LRT say they're losing sleep due to noise from passing trains squealing through their neighbourhood.
"It's a constant screech of fingernails on a chalkboard — very long fingernails on a very long chalkboard," said Vladimir Ahmad, who has lived on Donnell Road in Strathearn for seven years.
"We love the train. We hate the noise."
Ahmad said the screech from trains rounding the bend at the top of Connors Hill at 95th Avenue has become louder and more sustained since the line began operating last year.
He is among a group of Strathearn residents calling on the City of Edmonton and Valley Line operator TransEd to stifle the sound.
The din rattles through the neighbourhood every few minutes, 18 hours a day, and wakes him nightly, he said.
Ahmad said he misses the peace and quiet he once enjoyed at home.
"You become frustrated all the time," he said.
"You cannot escape it."
Residents who spoke with CBC fear their concerns have been drowned out by other operational concerns on the line, which have included prolonged construction delays and a string of collisions.
City transit officials say residents' complaints have been heard and that they're working with TransEd to reduce rail noise in the area by applying extra grease to the tracks.
City officials say two other locations have been identified to receive additional train lubrication.
One is north of the Millbourne-Woodvale stop near 40th Avenue; the issue was identified after a citizen complaint.
The other, identified by city staff, is the southbound track that heads downhill, including the curve for the Davies elevated guideway, near 69th Avenue and Argyll Road.
Jim Cockell, a career musician who lives on Donnell Road in Strathearn steps from the tracks, said the noise problems began when testing for the new street-level LRT line launched in November 2022.
Despite reassurances from the city and occasional periods of relative quiet, the relentless screech inevitably returns, said Cockell, a classical violinist.
He said residents were promised a "quiet train" during consultations but now feel ignored.
The frequency of the high-pitched sound creates a health concern, he said.
"We would use hearing protection on stage for this kind of noise exposure," he said.
"It's very disruptive."
Residents in the area have made regular complaints, including gathering signatures on a formal petition to the city.
In response, Edmonton Transit Service officials and TransEd have completed a series of sound studies and promised to regularly grease the tracks to cut back on the noise.
Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, ETS branch manager, said sound levels are in line with what was expected.
Trains make noise and screeching — especially on sharp turns on the track — should be expected, she said.
"This is the tough part, and it's hard for residents to hear, I'm sure. But technically, the volumes do comply with the project agreement. They do comply with city bylaws," Hotton-MacDonald said in an interview with CBC.
"But we're going to continue to try and work with the community because we understand it's a concern for them."
No 'silent train,' city says
The long-delayed Valley Line, running 13 kilometres from downtown to Mill Woods, opened in November 2023. Consultants on the project expected the new low-floor transit system would be quieter than Edmonton's older LRT trains.
Engineers cautioned, however, that additional noise mitigation measures would likely needed on sharp bends in the track, including at the top of Connors Hill.
The aim was to ensure the line would blend in with the regular sounds of the city, with noise levels around 60 decibels, comparable to the sound of a loud conversation.
The city's noise bylaw deems that volume acceptable for daytime noise in residential areas. The project agreement that set out operational requirements for the Valley Line requires the project to comply with the bylaw.
Greasing the tracks
Hotton-MacDonald said each car on the line is equipped with an automatic lubrication system to help limit any potential screeching from the tracks.
She said additional manual lubrication is being done three times weekly at the top of Connors Hill. The city is also exploring other noise mitigation measures, she said.
"We're going to keep monitoring closely," she said. "But I don't think it's possible to have a completely silent train. I don't think completely silent is ever going to be possible."
Strathearn resident Barbara Zochodne expected the new line would be relatively silent and looked forward to using it for her commute.
The constant squeal of the train she describes as "nail on a chalkboard" has instead become an unwelcome disruption to daily life in the area, she said.
She said the city needs to find a long-term solution and ensure that, as the LRT expands, the system is designed to limit noise pollution in residential areas.
"They really do need to make sure that money is spent so that neighbourhoods stay pleasant."
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