I suspect for once the unemployed whiners brigade might actually have a point. In case folks missed it, the Johnsonville line in Wellington has some shiny new(ish) trains after 20-odd years off to-ing and fro-ing. According to some of the locals, the new ones are a lot louder than the old ones.
While it's not enough that it annoys me, I think they may be right, as previously I've never noticed being able to hear the trains from my bathroom previously, which is around 600m-ish as the crow flies from the Ngaio station with a small hill in the way.
Anyone else in the area who has noticed any obvious difference, or is it just that the wind has died down for a few days so that you can actually hear other noises for a change?
Apparently the horns are louder as well, but as they should only be using those by one of the 3 level crossings on the line near Simla Cres, Khandallah and Raroa stations. I've never heard them from where I am, but I'd be concerned if I could given the distance to the nearest crossing.