The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

114 Mayor of London
The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy
attainable with and without opening of carriage end-windows and other
ventilation flaps or grilles, should be taken into account when
commissioning new rolling stock or undertaking major refurbishment.
Sound levels inside rail vehicles can be required to not exceed specified
maximum permitted levels, measured in accordance with the requirements
of ISO 3381. Cost can vary very widely depending on the nature of the
railway vehicle and its operating environment, and decisions will need to
be made on a project basis. Audible warning signals are required by the
Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations. They are required for safety reasons
and can be particularly important for disabled people. In some situations,
adaptive systems (see previous paragraph) can reduce annoyance (e.g.
automatic train door warning alarms).
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The Mayor will urge the Strategic Rail Authority, the rail industry and
other stakeholders, and will expect Transport for London, when assessing
issues of service quality, to give consideration to monitoring noise levels
experienced by passengers and/or public attitudes to interior noise.
Rail freight
4B.35 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy and London Plan support the transfer of
freight from road to rail, where this is practical and in keeping with other
objectives. More rail freight can contribute to environmental improvement
on London’s streets by reducing the number of heavy lorries. This needs
to be balanced against localised environmental disbenefits. Freight trains
are typically much heavier than passenger trains, and can create more low
frequency noise and vibration. Local effects vary. The noise and vibration
implications of major schemes to achieve modal transfer will need to be
assessed on a scheme-by-scheme basis. Assessment should include short
term measurements (such as hourly values) and/or the number and level
of individual noise events at night as well as long period ‘averaged’ noise,
and should take account of low frequency noise and vibration.
4B.36 Competition with passenger services for the limited amount of rail
capacity nationally and within London increases the pressure for rail
freight movements to take place at night, when background noise levels
are lower. London’s rail network is often used for freight which does not
have an origin or destination in London, and could be diverted round the
city. This would help to minimise noise and vibration in London’s dense
residential areas and release scarce rail capacity for freight with an origin
or destination in London as well as passenger services. Multi-modal
freight terminal proposals and expansion of existing terminals will require
careful assessment of layout and screening, the routes used for access by
road vehicles, the types of road vehicles used, hours of operation and