Annex 4

(Art. 40 para. 1)

Exposure Limit Values for Railway Noise

1 Scope

¹The exposure limit values specified in Number 2 apply to the noise from standard and narrow gauge railways.

²Noise on roads arising from railways is considered equivalent to road traffic noise (Annex 3 Number 1).

³The noise from cable railways and railway workshops, energy installations and similar railway works, is considered equivalent to noise from industrial and commercial installations (Annex 6 Number 1).

2 Exposure Limit Values

3 Determination of the Rating Sound Level

31 Principles

¹The rating sound level Lr for railway noise is determined from the partial rating sound levels for vehicle noise (Lr1) and shunting noise (Lr2) as follows:

Lr = 10 ⋅ log (10^01,⋅^Lr1+ 10^01,⋅^Lr2)

²The partial rating sound level Lr1 is the sum of the equivalent continuous A‑weighted sound level Leq,f resulting from vehicle operation, and the level correction K1:

Lr1 = Leq,f + K1

³The partial rating sound level Lr2 is the sum of the equivalent continuous A‑weighted sound level Leq,r resulting from shunting, and the level correction K2:

Lr2 = Leq,r + K2

⁴The partial rating sound levels Lr1 and Lr2 are determined for average day and night traffic flows.

32 Average Day and Night Operations

¹Average day and night operations are hauling and shunting operations from 06 to 22 hours and from 22 to 06 hours respectively, averaged over the year.

²Vehicle operations comprise all scheduled and non-scheduled trains, including service journeys.

³Shunting comprises all shunting movements and operations intended for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting trains.

⁴Vehicle operations and shunting are determined:

1. from the timetable and operating data for existing railway installations;
2. from operational forecasts for railway installations which are to be built or modified.

33 Level Corrections

¹The level correction K1 for transport noise is calculated as follows:

K1   =   –15 for N < 7.9

K1   =   10 ⋅ log (N/250) for 7.9 ≤ N ≤ 79

K1   =   −5 for N > 79

Here, N stands for the number of train journeys per day or night.

²The level correction K2 for shunting noise is based on the frequency and audibility of all pulsating, tonal and screeching types of noise, and is equal to: