Abstract

Every year since 2013, the road and rail authorities calculate the noise produced by road and rail traffic. RIVM validates these calculations through measurements. This was required under the Environmental Management Act until the end of 2023. From 1 January 2024, this act has been replaced by the Environment and Planning Act. However, the obligations under the old act still apply to the calculated values for 2023.

In this report, RIVM compared the measured noise levels with the calculated noise levels on motorways and railways for the year 2023. The title mentions 2024, but the report is about the results from 2023. In 2023, the calculated noise level along railways was, on average, 0.6 dB above the measured noise level. This difference was slightly larger in 2023 than in 2021 and 2022, but still within the margin of error. For motorways, the measured noise level was 1.9 dB above the calculated noise level. This significant difference has been observed for years, leading to adjustments in the calculation rules for motorways under the Environment and Planning Act. The most principal adjustment is the abolishment of the long-standing deduction for quiet tires, as these tires have a less significant contribution to the decrease in noise levels than expected. The following report will present the results of these adjustments.

Locally, the differences between the measured and calculated noise levels along motorways and railways can be greater. In the case of motorways, this is mainly due to the age and condition of the asphalt. The noise level for older asphalt is higher, while newer asphalt produces less noise than assumed in the calculations. For the railways, this is mainly because some trains produce more or less noise than average. The roughness of the railway tracks also plays a role.