A weekday evening at 6:30 p.m., in line 13 of the Paris metro, near Saint-Lazare station. In the train, a shrill noise rang out. A woman, in her early fifties, with AirPods in her ears, begins to grimace. The high-pitched squeal lasts for a few seconds, before disappearing… only to return again. This Parisian pushes her headphones deeper and holds them down for several seconds. Over his shoulder, a twenty-year-old observes him intrigued. To his right, a slightly older lady grimaces in turn and confirms: “It’s unbearable.”
This scene can be seen repeatedly in line 13. And on social networks too, Ile-de-France residents share their annoyance at this noise pollution. “I’m in metro 13 here and the noise this line makes is fucking shit,” notes (slightly irritated) a young Internet user in a post on sections where you can no longer take it without fucking noise-cancelling headphones,” testifies (even more angrily) another.
The equivalent of a chainsaw
Nothing surprising, according to a classification carried out by the Parisian at the start of the year. The section of line 13 around Saint-Lazare is the noisiest of the entire Parisian network. Inside the wagon, our colleagues recorded a sound level of 102 decibels. The equivalent of a chainsaw (yes, yes) or a nightclub at full speed (minus the good atmosphere). A problem that the RATP recognizes. The group recently carried out acoustic samples on 15 platforms of line 13. “It appears that screeching noises are strongly marked in stations near short-radius curves, which is the case at Saint-Lazare station,” explains has 20 Minutes the group’s communications department. Faced with these noises, there are several possible explanations: these squeals on small radius curves, but also the rolling noise, screeching when braking, the passage of a track switch, added to the sounds of the train equipment.
Beyond the fact that hearing that gentle sound of a drill after a day of hard work isn’t the most pleasant thing ever, is it dangerous for our ears? “I am always surprised by the difference in treatment between a noise experienced, like this, and a noise accepted, like in a bar where we far exceed 102 decibels,” begins by ironically ENT Niels Morel. Let’s say that friends, music we like and guacamole help to ease the ambient noise. The insults, the smell of sweat and the jostling in the subway, a little less.
A danger only for a noise that lasts
But back to our ears. “Being exposed to 102 decibels is not dangerous if the noise only lasts a few seconds or a few minutes,” the ENT specialist wants to reassure. “The regulations in musical venues show that beyond 100 decibels, there is a danger to hearing after fifteen minutes,” adds Matthieu Sineau, project manager at Bruitparif. Beyond this duration, the risk is to have “sound trauma, with tinnitus or hearing loss”, adds Amine Harichane, ENT surgeon. Due to a lack of studies, it is difficult for the doctor to say if a short but repeated sound peak (metro – work – metro – sleep) could have a long-term impact on hearing.
If line 13 therefore does not risk making you deaf, it can however have an impact on morale. “The ear is connected to the nervous system, so noise will affect our stress,” underlines ENT specialist Nils Morel. Result, in the long term: an increase in aggressiveness.
Not all equal in the face of noise
As for why some people can’t stand this noise while others barely seem to hear it, know that we are not all equal when it comes to it. “Studies show that a third of the annoyance is explained by real noise levels and the other two thirds depend on non-acoustic factors, linked to the individual,” underlines Matthieu Sineau.
Among these individual factors: stress, again. “If we can’t stand the metro and its environment, we will tolerate this noise less,” underlines Nils Morel. But people who are more sensitive to this noise pollution can also suffer from hyperacusis. “It can be linked to a congenital disease, an ear malformation or an autism spectrum disorder,” emphasizes the doctor. An ear that is already traumatized will also be more sensitive to noise pollution. The ENT therefore invites people who suffer to consult.
Wear headphones to reduce noise
Especially since passengers on line 13 will have to be patient. RATP explains that “the situation should be improved by the future MF19 rolling stock which will be deployed from mid-2027 and which will be equipped with anti-squeal devices on the wheels”. These new MF19 trains, “new generation rail metros”, will replace the current ones, over a period extending from mid-2027 to mid-2030. “The use of a greater proportion of electric braking by the MF19 will also reduce screeching noises when braking when arriving at the station,” underlines the RATP.
In the meantime, Amine Haricane gives some advice to people having difficulty with their daily journeys on the 13: “putting on simple headphones reduces the sound level by 15 to 20 decibels, and noise-reducing ones can go up to 30 decibels less. » By going from 100 to 80 or even 70 dB, no more worries (provided you don’t put your music at maximum volume, obviously). “If all the protections are good to take, no need to put Kyes balls either,” warns Nils Morel. We don’t have a solution for sweating, however. Sorry.
