Almost 180 people signed a petition that said their homes, health and lives were ‘severely and adversely impacted’ by trains running along the extension.
‘Our particular, unique and severe problem is caused by the Public Transport Authority’s failure to lay anti-vibration matting under the ballast where the rail line runs in the vicinity of houses in Butler,’ it said.
‘Anti-vibration matting was installed further to the south of Butler and there are no complaints from that area.
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READ NOW‘Without the matting, vibrations travel through the soil to the bedrock and are reflected into our homes, which amplify the vibration and noise.’
Resident David Malan said they were not moaning about the train line but, prior to building in the area, had been assured there would be ballast matting under the tracks to prevent vibrations.
Mr Malan said once the trains started using the track for driver training, residents found their eardrums were rattling and some had pictures on their walls rattle or fall off.
‘It’s very similar to an earthquake approaching; we will hear this very deep rumbling,’ he said.
‘All we want is the proper engineering work done.’
Richard Wells said his wife was losing sleep as the trains went past every few minutes daily, especially in the early morning hours.
David Reynolds said he did not feel it in the back yard, but he did inside his house.
‘It sounds like a jumbo jet going over the top,’ he said.
Jackson Hamlin said noise was not an issue, but people should not have to put up with the vibrations. ‘They can have noise all day, but it’s the shocking that is a problem,’ he said.
Residents said they realised to install the ballast matting under the rest of the 7.5km extension would require the tracks, sleepers and ballast to be pulled up.
‘It’s pointless pulling the track up to put the matting down; you are looking at at least $2 million a kilometre,’ Mr Wells said.