THE POSSIBILITY OF A BONUS FOR EVALUATING RAILWAY NOISE IN JAPAN

Abstract

There is a need to establish guidelines for conventional railway noise in Japan. This paper examines the possibility of giving a bonus, which has recently been applied in some European countries, to railway noise in Japan. First, it compares noise limits in environmental quality standards. The result is that the Shinkansen noise limits in environmental quality standards. The result is that Shinkansen noise limits are very severe compared with those of road traffic and aircraft. Second, it compares dose–response values due to noise from Shinkansen, conventional railways and road traffic, using results of various social surveys conducted in Japan and European countries. The result suggests that dose–response values in Japan are at least 5 dB more severe than in European countries, and that conventional railways are as annoying as Shinkansen. Finally, it examines differences in people's responses between railway noise and road traffic noise from results of social surveys which have been carried out in city areas adjacent to both a conventional railway and a main road with heavy traffic. The results show that, although dose-response values to conventional railways and road traffic are almost the same, conventional railways are slightly more annoying. From these, it seems that it is difficult to consider a bonus in guidelines on railway noise.