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How Engineers Soundproof a New Underground Train Track

NOVA PBS Official | June 26, 2026



Part of the new London track is directly below an iconic performing arts center.

Watch the full episode: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/london-super-tunnel/

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Written by NOVA PBS Official

Comments

This post currently has 14 comments.

  1. @geomodelrailroader

    June 26, 2026 at 5:57 am

    they needed to install dampeners here because the Barbican has 200 acoustic phones and they can pick up any noise. Every week they do Hamlet and John Williams comes down from the US to conduct the London Orchestra as they make music for his films. The Barbican sits over the head house of Farringdon Station any noise here no Hamlet or Star Wars when you come in to listen to the concert. To fix this 86 dampeners are under the track so you don't hear a thing when the performance begins.

  2. @xy4489

    June 26, 2026 at 5:57 am

    Wouldn't it make more sense to route around the theater or whatever other key structures? Smells like budget flowing from tax payers to private business.

  3. @printedwit

    June 26, 2026 at 5:57 am

    i want to know how the formwork here – for a CIP, floating, 150'-long bit of track – works. and maybe they set it and never remove it from the underside of the floating track? maybe it's not traditional formwork as we think of it, but another separation material? what an interesting design & constructability conundrum.

  4. @kevinhoward9593

    June 26, 2026 at 5:57 am

    Thats absurd. vibrations "COULD" keyword "COULD" harm the sounds in the theater. its not the railways fault you built a theater in the ground. I hope the theater paid for those more expensive tracks. English people are so uptight about their theater. get over it. There are many trains going under broadway. you dont see those theaters complaining?

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