How loud is the London Underground?
A study that measured sound inside moving London Underground carriages between 2006 and 2019 found passengers are routinely exposed to more than 80 dBA, with levels sometimes going over 100 dBA. The measurements were taken on the Northern and Victoria lines and within Zone 1.
- Level
- 80–100 dBAA-weighted sound level
- Daily limit
- 15 min a dayNIOSH, at the loud end
- Versus conversation
- 562× energyabout 6.7× as loud
What the numbers mean
How it was measured. Hand-held calibrated sound level meter in moving carriages on the Northern line (Euston to South Wimbledon) and Victoria line (Euston to Vauxhall) in 2006 and 2018, and in Zone 1 in 2019. Figures from the published abstract.
Researchers took A-weighted readings with a hand-held calibrated sound level meter on moving trains between Euston and South Wimbledon on the Northern line and between Euston and Vauxhall on the Victoria line, in 2006 and again in 2018, and on journeys within Zone 1 in 2019. Across that decade they found levels consistently above 80 dBA, sometimes exceeding 100 dBA.
The authors note that there are no hearing protection rules for passengers on public transport such as the Underground, and describe their study as the first published account of passenger exposure on the network. The levels inside deep tube tunnels are comparable to those measured on the New York subway, where the loudest moment recorded inside a car was 112 dBA.
How long is safe?
NIOSH recommends no more than 15 min a day at 100 dBA (no limit at the quiet end, 80). OSHA's legal limit is 2 h.
| Level | NIOSH limit (85 dBA, 3 dB rule) | OSHA limit (90 dBA, 5 dB rule) | UK/EU 80 dB(A) action value reached after | UK/EU 85 dB(A) action value reached after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 dBA | No limit | No limit | Not reached in 24 h | Not reached in 24 h |
| 100 dBA | 15 min | 2 h | 4 min 48 s | 15 min |
Times are for a whole day’s exposure, with the rest of the day quiet. The workplace limits were written for adults at work, not for children. Work out a mixed day with the noise dose calculator.
Protecting your hearing
On the deep lines, foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones make the journey quieter. Avoid turning music up to mask the train; that adds to the dose rather than replacing it.
Earplug and earmuff ratings (NRR in the US, SNR in the UK and EU) are lab figures; real-world protection is usually lower. How to read the ratings.
Compared with sounds nearby
Using midpoints of each range. Energy multiplies by 10 every 10 dB; perceived loudness roughly doubles (why).
- Amusement arcade (83–89.4 dBA): this has about 2.4× its sound energy and sounds about 1.3× as loud.
- Hammer drill (86–89 dBA): this has about 1.8× its sound energy and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Violin (80–105 dBA): it has about 1.8× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Ice hockey game (81–104.1 dBA): it has about 1.8× the sound energy of this and sounds about 1.2× as loud.
- Normal conversation (55–70 dBA): this has about 562× its energy and sounds about 6.7× as loud.
Questions
How loud does the Tube get?
Measurements inside moving carriages found levels routinely above 80 dBA and sometimes above 100 dBA.
Which lines were measured?
The Northern line between Euston and South Wimbledon and the Victoria line between Euston and Vauxhall, in 2006 and 2018, plus journeys in Zone 1 in 2019.
Sources
- Noise Exposure on the London Underground, an Observational Study over a Decade, The Laryngoscope (Singh et al., 2020), abstract via Europe PMC. Supports: dB_low 80 and dB_high 100 dBA in carriages.
Passengers are routinely and consistently subjected to sound pressure levels exceeding 80 dBA, with levels sometimes reaching over 100 dBA.
Checked 2026-11-03. - Noise Exposure on the London Underground, an Observational Study over a Decade, The Laryngoscope (Singh et al., 2020), abstract via Europe PMC. Supports: method.
Three experimental and three technical repeats were undertaken using a hand-held calibrated multi-function sound level meter.
Checked 2026-11-03. - Pilot survey of subway and bus stop noise levels, Journal of Urban Health (Gershon et al., 2006). Supports: New York comparison, 112 dBA.
Maximum levels of 106, 112, and 89 dBA were measured on subway platforms, inside subway cars, and at bus stops, respectively.
Checked 2026-11-03.
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have ringing in your ears, muffled hearing or any change in your hearing, see an audiologist or your doctor.