Question about train tracks (Boston, Newton: how much, houses, neighborhood)

[babybluepumpkin]

I've been researching housing in the Boston area and it seems like almost every house I find on the internet that I like is close to train tracks on the map. Needham, Natick, Wellesley, etc. Is that a problem? I know there are a lot of commuter trains. Is it loud living by them? I mean, these are $1M+ homes. Next to train tracks! Any input?

[LovelyBoston]

How close is close? Do you mean a mile away, half a mile, within 100 yards, or in your backyard? And maps can be a deceiving, because it can look close on the map and yet there might be many trees or buildings or other houses between the house you look at and the tracks, and that would cut down on the train noise you hear.

Whether it is loud or not depends on the actual distance and on what is in between the house and the tracks. And whether it is at a place where the train has to signal its horn. If these are $1mil houses, then no, it is not going to be loud. The towns you list certainly have high housing prices, but not so high that a $1mil home is going to be subjected to distracting noises from the train.

[ebezera]

If it's a train line that carries freight traffic as well as passenger traffic (such as the Wellesley/Natick) line, there will be more noise. That line doesn't have grade crossings until you hit Framingham (I think), so trains won't be blowing their horns for that - but they are supposed to blow their horns when they approach a station. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. If your lot backs up to a train track, you're definitely going to hear them, no matter how much your house costs. But once you're a little distance away, the sounds will be less noticeable. Also, I don't see the huge long freight trains that I grew up hearing in the south - most of them are fairly short and fast-moving.

[scarletfire]

Ebezera is right about determining what type of train line it is. We live about 1/2 mile from a freight train line but it's very infrequent and once in a great while we can hear the train whistle but mostly not. If you live near a commuter rail *station* though I think the noise there would be bothersome. At the Southboro station for example there is an annoying signal that rings to annouce when the train is coming. I think if I lived close to that, the noise and the frequency of the trains would drive me a little crazy. Your buyer's agent should be able to suss this out for you so that you don't waste a lot of time checking out houses just to find out that they are in a very noisy area.

Best of luck!

[smarty]

The median house price in Wellesley was $900K. Hence, $1M is just an average house in that town. I guess they will have to deal with some noise or inconveniences.

[nibseysgirl]

Originally Posted by babybluepumpkin

I've been researching housing in the Boston area and it seems like almost every house I find on the internet that I like is close to train tracks on the map. Needham, Natick, Wellesley, etc. Is that a problem? I know there are a lot of commuter trains. Is it loud living by them? I mean, these are $1M+ homes. Next to train tracks! Any input?

yes the train tracks are loud but IMHO you will get used to them. I lived near them and I tuned them out after the first few days. Good Luck...Boston is a great city. I no longer live there but I visit often,....

[findingmesomeday]

We don't live near the train tracks, but can hear the whistle anyway (no commuter rail, just freight about 4x/day). It's kind of comforting, in a way. I like it.

[Ponnieta]

Does anyone know if living by tamarck rd in west natick can be loud?? I'm planning on moving there and the rail is probably 100 feet away,owners have kids and don't have a problem..really like the property please help

[miu]

Is it a commuter rail line? Or just a freight train track? Why not find out the train schedule and make it a point to be at that house when it comes by?

With the purchase of a house being so huge, why don't YOU take the time to research the property thoroughly yourself? When I found the house that I would eventually by, I visited it several times by myself just to get acquainted with the neighborhood.

[Highwyre237]

I live right off of the Framingham train line, maybe 150 yards (between the Newtonville and West Newton stops). If it isnt directly in your backyard, it wont be bad at all. You hear it the few times it runs by, but it hasnt woken me up. The dog barked at first, but got used to it after a day. I do agree though, check out the house during a time the train will be going by, and see if its too loud for you.