why are NYC subways so incredibly noisy?
Posting this here because my question is not specifically about NYC, but train ops, and hoping someone with experience might see it here!
I imagine that when a visitor from Japan or Europe visits NYC, the sheer noise and cacophany of the subways is an assault on the ears (and mine, thus my posting here).
What is this, and why? Can someone explain why something about the rails or cars creates such incredible noise, compared to other cities? Are the rails not welded well, clicking and clacking? Is it poor sound insulation? Is it old infrastructure that has lots of curves, designed for a different era?
I was on a train today (R, or N, I don't remember) that, every time braking coming into a station, it felt like the train was going to rattle itself apart. NYC subway trains just do not feel "tight".
I would think that after 100 years of operations, this is something that, you know, they could improve...