Noise Nuisance - Rail Noise
This section provides information and advice on rail noise and what constitutes a noise nuisance.
In 1999/2000 the Building Research Establishment (BRE) carried out a National Survey of Attitudes to Environmental Noise in order to enable a UK wide assessment of noise attitudes.
This revealed that 6% of respondents were "bothered, annoyed or disturbed .... to some extent" by trains or railways and that 2% were moderately, very or extremely bothered, annoyed or disturbed by the noise.
The local authority has a number of legal powers to deal with noise problems.
Unfortunately in respect of rail noise, due to legal constraints, they are often unable to act.
For example local authority powers to deal with noise nuisance effectively exclude action in respect of most train noise.
However, if the noise is of disturbance from track repair alterations, carriage refurbishment in yards and noise from goods yards, there will be circumstances where the local authority has some powers.
Read about noise from railway maintenance.
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
Town Hall
Castlefield Road
Reigate
RH2 0SH
01737 276000
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