How is the effect of train horn noise in a community quantified?
The Federal Railroad Administration has developed a noise computation method to assess the noise impact of train horns in the vicinity of highway-rail grade crossings. This method uses a special train horn noise model to predict noise levels to the side of the railway which incorporates the FRA noise impact criteria. 6. What is the train horn noise model used by FRA? Noise from horns is analyzed by considering the problem in terms of a Source-Path-Receiver framework. The Source generates close-by noise levels, which depend on the type of source and its operating characteristics. The Path of sound between the source and the receivers includes the intervening distance, obstacles, terrain features and structures. The Receiver is the noise-sensitive land use exposed to sound from the source. The FRA horn noise model incorporates all three elements of the noise analysis as they relate to train horns near grade crossings. 7. How is the noise source characterized in the FRA model? Reference L
