In Ghent, more trams are being fitted with a system to muffle the screeching noise the vehicles make in bends. Flemish public transport company De Lijn is looking to reduce the noise for some time. It’s caused persistent complaints from local residents for some time now. De Lijn has since invested in a system that allows the lubrication of the tracks from inside the tram. 27 trams already have the system, now 13 more are being added.
"The sound of metal wheels on metal tram tracks when the vehicles pass through bends is the cause of considerable noise pollution. It is a phenomenon that occurs all over the world," says De Lijn’s Ine Pieters. In Ghent, a large number of trams are already equipped with a system that lubricates the tracks and softens the screeching noise. "Now we are going to equip even more trams with the lubrication system," says Pieters.
"Eliminating the screeching noise completely is impossible."
New noise abatement measurements should allow De Lijn to identify even better where and when the screeching noise is most irritating. "Getting rid of the noise completely is impossible, but we can ensure there’s an improvement," Ine Pieters adds. 20 long trams and 7 shorter vehicles have already been equipped with lubricating equipment. "That means 60 per cent of Ghent's trams already have the lubrication system. Now 13 more are being added. If the system works well, eventually we want to equip all trams with the system."