EU plan for quieter railways still not on track

Putting people and cargo onto the rails may be one way to reduce roadway air pollution, a key goal of the EU’s rail transport policy, but doing so creates another hazard for those living close to railways – noise.

The European Commission is presenting a recast of the 2002 Environmental Noise Directive during Spring 2013, aimed at producing quieter living and working environments. Recent railway legislation has also sought to accelerate modernisation of transboundary rail services and infrastructure.

A new French study says long-term exposure to railway noise can disturb sleep patterns, leading to reduced concentration levels that may not even be noticed by those in earshot of train lines.

Journal of Environmental Psychology: Long term exposure to nocturnal railway noise produces chronic signs of cognitive deficits and diurnal sleepiness http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494412000679#bbib24

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