Assessing rail-based environmental noise exposure using CNOSSOS-EU

Since December 2018 a harmonised approach for the assessment of transportation noise, known as CNOSSOS-EU, became obligatory for EU Member States in the calculation of strategic noise mapping. This paper provides an assessment of rail-based environmental noise in Ireland via a comparative analysis of acoustic modelling for rail sources in the Irish context by comparing the CNOSSOS-EU method and the previously utilised interim method RMR-1996 with field measurements. The paper also presents comparative estimates of population exposure calculated using CNOSSOS-EU and RMR-1996. It was found that the results generated by the CNOSSOS-EU model were closer to field measurements when compared to the RMR-1996 model. Noise modelling also indicated that populations estimated to be exposed to levels of railway noise > 55 dB(A) generated by the national rail fleet were higher using CNOSSOS-EU (i.e. 91,692 more persons) relative to the RMR-1996 method. Rail noise generated by the Luas tram rail network generated marginally less population exposure for railway noise > 55 dB(A) (i.e. 2,905 less persons) relative to RMR-1996. As such, the paper contributes to the assessment of the new CNOSSOS-EU model for rail in the EU and addresses the relative lack of research focusing on rail modelling and population exposure estimation under the END. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the extent that populations are exposed to railway noise using CNOSSOS-EU across Europe.