NOISE LEVELS AT CASTLE GREEN CONDOMINIUM

NOISE LEVELS AT CASTLE GREEN CONDOMINIUM

37.

Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport in view of the noise levels from MRT trains experienced by residents of Castle Green Condominium (a) whether this is due to an increase in the frequency of train runs or the lack of maintenance of the tracks; (b) what can be done to ensure that noise levels will not deteriorate further, with higher demand for train services; and (c) what further measures can be taken to insulate the noise, apart from the current standard checks implemented by the train operators.

Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat: Singapore is highly urbanised and densely built-up, and the MRT system was designed to service residents in high-density corridors. Therefore, it is inevitable that some residential developments will have to be located quite close to the MRT tracks. In the last few years, as SMRT increased service frequencies to address crowding in the trains and reduce waiting time for commuters, this has naturally increased the number of times in a day that residents living close to the tracks will hear the noise from passing trains.

LTA takes guidance from NEA guidelines which state that railway sound levels should not be more than 67 decibels sustained over a one-hour period. SMRT has, in the last few months, been taking noise measurements at the façade of Castle Green Condominium facing the tracks. The readings have been consistently within NEA guidelines, and are similar to other sections of MRT track. Nevertheless, I would like to assure Members that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT are actively trying their best to minimise the noise from MRT trains and tracks.

For example, the MRT trains are manufactured in compliance with specified noise emission limits, and are fitted with special noise damped wheels to reduce noise levels.

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The use of stone ballast and sleepers on the MRT viaducts also help to insulate noise further by helping to absorb the vibrations which may propagate through the track structure.

SMRT also has a comprehensive maintenance programme to regularly check and maintain the trains and tracks, which will help to ensure that noise levels do not worsen through wear and tear of the equipment. For instance, train wheels are reprofiled and rails are ground frequently to remove defects that create noise and also to maintain safe train operation. In response to complaints from some residents at Castle Green Condominium, SMRT carried out two rail grinding maintenance operations along the section of track in the last two months.

LTA has also worked with SMRT to put in place a monitoring system to measure the noise generated by MRT trains at selected locations close to major residential estates every three months. With this, SMRT is able to identify locations where the noise levels are close to the guidelines, and prioritise preventive maintenance work at these locations to ensure that the guidelines are not breached.

Whilst LTA and the operators will continue to try their best to minimise noise generated by MRT trains as much as possible, some degree of noise is unavoidable. We need to balance the concerns over noise with the need to improve train services for commuters, and we ask the public for their understanding of this.