Noise Complaints
Road, rail and aircraft noise: a resident's guide
A practical guide for residents affected by roads/expressways, trains/metro, and aircraft — your rights, the responsible agencies, the evidence to prepare, and complaint steps that actually move.
Who is responsible
- Road traffic: the local authority and the highway/traffic agency for the area
- Rail/metro: the railway or rail operator together with the local authority
- Aircraft: the airport operator plus local authorities around the airport
- Assessment criteria vary by area, control zone and time of day
Evidence to prepare
- Incident timeline: dates/times/frequency/duration (night-time matters most)
- Photos/video: the road, rail line, or flight path over the community
- Expert measurements with Class 1 instruments (Leq/Lmax/1/3 octave/SEL)
- Map and distances: your home vs the road/track/flight path, measurement points, any existing barriers
Approach by source type
- Traffic: collect evidence at peak/night, by vehicle type. Measures: noise barriers, surface/speed changes, and at home — improved openings/acoustic glazing and sealing
- Rail/metro: log timetables and per-train Lmax/SEL peaks. Measures: rail/wheel maintenance, trackside barriers, added mass/acoustic windows at the building, watch structure-borne low frequencies
- Aircraft: log flight times/directions/frequency, use night SEL/Leq. Measures: flight-path policy (government level) and high-performance façades/openings at home
How Geonoise can help
- ✓Field measurements with submission-ready reports
- ✓Preliminary modelling/noise mapping to estimate barrier/façade effectiveness
- ✓Engineering advice for homes/buildings: acoustic windows, sealing, structure
- ✓Expert support for complaints and disputes
Frequently asked questions
How many days of evidence?
At least 3–7 days covering weekdays, weekends, and night-time if that's when the problem occurs.
Why measure Lmax/SEL on top of Leq?
Short loud events (trains, aircraft, trucks) genuinely disturb even when the long-term average looks acceptable.
Do noise barriers always help?
Depends on the sound path, height and gaps — high receivers or tall buildings may need façade treatment as well.
How should I think about budget?
Start with a survey and preliminary measurement → quick wins (openings/sealing) → then evaluate barriers/façades by cost per decibel saved.