Barbican residents call for Tube speed restrictions to halt noise

The last trains run about 00:30 GMT and start up again at 05:13

Residents in the City of London have called for speed restrictions on late night Tube trains to ease "unacceptable high levels of noise and vibration".

Tube trains pass over points 5m (16ft) below Brandon Mews in the Barbican in east London.

Residents have said the problem has got worse because of new trains and cuts to Transport for London's (TfL) maintenance budget.

TfL said it was "determined to reduce noise and vibration where practicable".

A trial of temporary speed restrictions on the Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines under Brandon Mews saw cut noise levels by seven decibels.

The last trains run about 00:30 GMT and start up again at 05:13.

A resident said trains run every three minutes

Barbican Association member Richard Collins, who has been lobbying TfL to tackle the problem, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Some people are badly affected, it has been very intrusive."

He said when the trains run "it is fairly constant with trains running at about three-minute intervals".

"What we would like to see is the removal of the crossovers, where the trains can switch between the eastbound and westbound tracks to Aldgate.

"That's really key and we would like TfL to have a higher maintenance budget."

TfL has laid new track for about 200m (650ft) between Barbican and Moorgate stations which reduced the noise for some residents, but not for people living in Brandon Mews, according to Mr Collins.

Esther Sharples, London Underground's director of asset operations, said she understood "the importance of minimising noise levels".

"We have been working closely with the City of London to explore what solutions may be viable to minimise Tube noise levels for Barbican residents.

"A number of track renewals have been carried out in the area to improve the noise levels and we are determined to do all we practicably can to be a good neighbour."