The Melodies of Subways Around the World

I always found Toronto's door chimes to be pretty nice.

London doesn't really have a door chime, just a shrill be-be-be-be-be-beep. However, some of the motors have their own distinctive sounds! The Jubilee line is particularly melodic, emitting a series of harmonic tones as it's Gate-turn-off Thyristor inverters (predating the more modern IGBTs) step up and down through various frequencies as the train changes speed.

Departure sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeYKmKWc6uM

Arrival sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZR8SaODPgM

Disappointed that the article does not mention the very distinct retro-tech drone of the inverter-based power supply of the Soviet Metrovagonmash 81-814 and 81-817 trains (1,2).

Also interesting to note that the Montreal Metro sound lives on as the low-speed pedestrian awareness sound of the electric LionC school bus, which are manufactured in Quebec.

(1) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jVGEPiyJync (2) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ztcEP8jWOfM

My favorite is the Montreal Metro melody. It's like a clarion call for subways!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu_1JM_UiuA

I get huge nostalgia for riding the subways in Tokyo whenever I hear any JR East melodies.