Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Train noise pollution

The Petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council that the noise from train horns is causing harm to neighbours of railways.

Residents and workers near railways are subjected to frequent horn blasts hundreds of times a week and almost always as a matter of routine at any time of the day or night. The horns are supposed to be a low-cost solution to safety, but the true costs are externalised in the form of noise pollution.

The World Health Organization estimates that every year in the western part of Europe, at least one million healthy life years are lost due to traffic-related noise. In Melbourne, the frequent sound of train horns relentlessly harms the health and wellbeing of communities near railways. Can there be another rail infrastructure to provide safety along railway tracks? Additional rail infrastructure such as basic fencing protection is needed in order to lessen the insistent and excessive train horns that are used 24 hours a day.

The petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to reduce the noise pollution caused by excessive use of train horns by providing fencing along railway tracks or alternative means for safety.