BART Seeks to Reduce Train Noise

It's easy to tell when the BART train is coming: you'll hear it, sometimes before you see it.

"Noise" is one of the chief complaints made about BART, according to the San Francisco Examiner. And fast trains make loud trains, the newspaper noted, so BART is seeking ways to quiet its rail rides.

Noise levels on BART vary between 70 and 90 decibels. Hearing can suffer if the ears are subjected to noise above 90 decibels for prolonged periods, according to the report.

BART's noise mostly comes from imperfections on the rails. The agency is doing research into ways to soften the roar and screech of BART trains for passengers as well as people who live near tracks.

Reducing friction on the tracks might reduce vibration and may quiet the trains, the newspaper reported.