Published: 31 December 2012

Relation between the railroad noise and the social-economic factors

Danielis Gužas1
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Abstract

This paper provides recently, due to the increasing speed and intensity of trains traveling on railways, the noise caused by trains to the environment has greatly increased. As for example, in the Lithuanian Railway lines are unqualitative and due to such and other reasons a noise level near the passing railway line is rather high and reaches 110 and more dB(A). In other countries, such as Switzerland during the daytime, 1.5 % to 6.6 % are exposed to similar levels of railway noise, but 8 % to 27 % to road noise and at night 1 % to 4 % are exposed to rail, but 8 % to 32 % to road noise. This paper the noise caused by moving trains may have diverse impact on people living not far from the railway lines and to affect a person both, psychologically and physiologically. A range of exposure-effect relationships of noise exposure and parameters of health and wellbeing such as self-reported health status, satisfaction with health, sleep disturbances, the intensity of the wish to move from the current residence as well as the awareness of ""noise problems"" at the place of living were investigated These studies are of Lithuania railway line Vilnius – Klaipėda Giruliai town villlage. The paper demonstrates that while solving the issue related to the reduction of the noise caused by trains, it is necessary to assess social and economic factors related to the noise caused by trains within the railway systems. The economic valuation of rail transport is economic valuation is very limited. This is primarily because compared to road and aviation transport, noise pollution of rail transport is seen as less importance. Noise annoyance causes social and economic costs which are incorporated in various stages of the causal model. These measures can be subdivided into noise regulation and direct prevention measures. Stricter threshold values lead to higher total costs, but may lover social costs per capita. Economic feasibility of policy measures is usually analyzed by means of a cost-benefit case study. Methods of analysis used are diverse and hoc. Therefore, results of different case studies are not easily compared in terms synthesis.

About this article

Received
10 September 2011
Accepted
04 December 2012
Published
31 December 2012
Keywords
railway noise
impact people living
social-economic