Noise Exposure on the London Underground, an Observational Study over a Decade

Abstract

Objectives: There are no hearing protection regulations in place for passengers using public transport, such as the London Underground. In light of this, we sought to examine sound pressure levels experienced by regular users of the London Underground. Methods: Sound pressure levels (A-weighted decibels: dBA) were taken on moving London Underground carriages between Euston and South Wimbledon on the Northern Line, and between Euston and Vauxhall on the Victoria Line, during 2006 and 2018. In addition, carriage sound pressure levels travelling within Zone 1 of the London Underground were tested in 2019. Three experimental and three technical repeats were undertaken using a hand-held calibrated multi-function sound level meter. Results: Passengers are routinely and consistently subjected to sound pressure levels exceeding 80 dBA, with levels sometimes reaching over 100 dBA. Conclusion: This study is unique within the literature, with no published studies outlining exposure levels for London Underground passengers. It provides evidence of elevated noise exposure to passengers, consistently along large stretches of the London Underground, over a prolonged study period (2006-2019).

Quantifying headphone listening experience in virtual sound environments using distraction

“…This allowed real-world spatial recordings to be used, giving a realistic background that directly included the spatial direction, distance and source width cues from the recorded scene. To increase the flexibility of the background rendering [32], NLS was used to reproduce the foreground elements. This ensured that the foreground elements could be varied independently of the HOA background content, while avoiding any timbral quality and localisation issues that may have arisen from spatial processing (to achieve panning and distance perception, for example).…”

“…For the quiet scenario a quiet afternoon was chosen, and for the busy scenario the recording was made in the kitchen with the dishwasher, washing machine, as well as the sink on, indicative of a busy home atmosphere. The train recordings were made using a Zylia ZM-1 microphone: for the quiet scenario, recordings were made on a national train between two nearby stations; for the busy scenario, recordings were during the daytime on the Bakerloo line (one of the noisiest lines of the London Underground [32]).…”

“…The literature on urban soundscapes indicates that the SPL of street scenes can vary from 55.8 to 95.0 dBA SPL [37][38][39]. Research into overground and underground trains indicate that the former are generally quieter, with a range of between 54.0 and 67.8 dBA SPL for overground trains [40][41][42] and between 75.1 and 104.5 dBA SPL for underground trains in London [32]. Home environments are often quieter, but can cover a range of between 35.0 and 85.0 dBA SPL, including the noisiest conditions with multiple appliances running in the kitchen [43][44][45].…”