Measures to abate railway noise

An important environmental issue in densely populated areas, such as Germany or France, is the problem of noise. Traffic noise from cars, railway vehicles and airports located in close proximity to the city is not only annoying for residents; it also leads to serious health issues and has an enormous negative economic impact. Unlike road traffic noise, which occurs virtually everywhere, rail traffic noise is much more localized to individual transport corridors. However, depending on the type of train and the volume of trains, high levels of noise can be generated, especially along freight corridors on which most of the rail traffic is at night. One example is the Middle Rhine Valley, which is part of the European freight corridor between Rotterdam and Genoa. In many places along this corridor, the noise levels are essentially higher than those considered desirable to maintain good health. The noise caused by rail traffic is therefore the ecological Achilles heel of the railway. However, there are measures for the reduction of noise emitted by rail traffic. In a recent research project, the German Environment Agency evaluated technical, operational and legal measures to abate the railway noise.