PA system - high volume

[Zippy747]

Hi,

I live next to a railway line which is at the far end of the platform at Royston station which has one speaker about 5 metres away from my very small back garden and another 2 either side about 12 metres apart.
The platform was extended about 13 years ago to accommodate longer trains, so before anyone asks, my house and my neigbours' houses were here long before the platform extension.

The last 2 years has been a battle with getting the announcements turned down as they are ridiculously loud (staff announcements mainly). After months of waiting last summer the council did do something and the noise did
subside up until now where the volume has increased again. I've been told by members of staff that the volume of the PA system can not be altered at the station and I would like to ask whether this is true to most station PA systems
or whether they can be altered speaker to speaker or by zones. Seeing as very few commuters actually walk to the very end of the platform it's seems daft for the volume to be loud at our expense. I get that messages need to be
made and I have no problem with it but there needs to be a happy medium for the commuters and residents.

I've been in touch with Great Northern Trains to ask them if an Environmental Impact Assessment ever took place when the platform was extended but they claimed that is Network Rail's responsibility. However, Network Rail confirmed that they don't
own the PA equipment and it's Great Northern's responsibility...and so I've been going around in circles regarding this issue too.

If anyone else has had a similar experience it would be great to hear your views and how (if so) you rectified it.

Much obliged.

Zippy.

 

[skyhigh]

I've been told by members of staff that the volume of the PA system can not be altered at the station and I would like to ask whether this is true to most station PA systems
or whether they can be altered speaker to speaker or by zones.

I would be very surprised if staff are able to alter the volume of announcements manually at the station.

 

[Tio Terry]

Most modern PA systems have a system of sensors that combine with Automatic Gain Control (AGC), the idea being that if the sensors find high ambient noise (e.g. a passing train) the announcement volume will be increased to compensate, so in a quiescent state the volume shouldn't be too high. For emergency announcements, say evacuation, the AGC is usually over ridden and max volume will apply.

Network Rail would have been responsible for the physical extension of the platform but it's doubtful that they extended the PA system if they don't own it, but whoever did extend it should have undertaken a noise pollution overspill assessment. It's some years ago now because I'm retired but I got involved in a number of such assessment, it's usually possible to reduce overspill pollution by careful positioning of speakers and the direction that they are positioned at. If the PA is also linked with the station fire alarm so it is used for evacuation purposes there are legal coverage requirements that may limit the ability to reduce overspill pollution but even so it's usual to be able to reduce problems.

 

[Zippy747]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. It's much appreciated and has given me some insight of the PA system.

An engineer did reposition the speakers, so they're facing away from our property (they were facing kind of sideways before - image attached), although it's pointing slightly down now, so maybe the sound waves are bouncing off the platform...I'm not sure about the acoustics.

 

[Tio Terry]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. It's much appreciated and has given me some insight of the PA system.

An engineer did reposition the speakers, so they're facing away from our property (they were facing kind of sideways before - image attached), although it's pointing slightly down now, so maybe the sound waves are bouncing off the platform...I'm not sure about the acoustics.

View attachment 137224

From the limited information given, it would be better if there were a number of lower powered speakers positioned around where the lighting columns are which are positioned so that they are the platform side of the columns pointing towards the platform edge. Nobody will want to do that because of the cost - it's expensive - but it would improve your situation.

 

[Zippy747]

I agree, that would be ideal. I wonder if there's any kind of shielding they can install to deflect the sound. Again, might cost much money.

My only hope now is waiting for the council to step in again, although this takes months.

 

[John Webb]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. It's much appreciated and has given me some insight of the PA system.

An engineer did reposition the speakers, so they're facing away from our property (they were facing kind of sideways before - image attached), although it's pointing slightly down now, so maybe the sound waves are bouncing off the platform...I'm not sure about the acoustics.

View attachment 137224

A slight twist of the speakers so they are pointing towards the centreline of the platform about halfway between each pair of speakers might also help. I doubt if it's sound reflecting off the nearer platform that gets to you - more likely the speakers on the opposite platform, perhaps?

As Tio Terry says above, more speakers at a lower volume each would be better. But your photo suggests that the PA system is completely separate from the lighting system, so installation of additional speakers would be problematic and very expensive.

Regret that recourse to the local council is probably your best bet, even if it means a wait.

 

[Zippy747]

Thanks John and Terry. There's no platform directly opposite, the two platforms are offset, so the speakers on the other platform would be too far away to be a problem. It must be just the sheer volume of it. It can be heard through acoustic double glazing and if you open the window...well
it's like being in a stadium. I wish they'd just remove the speakers this end of the platform as there's never any commuters there and the hard of hearing would normally stay and the station side but I guess they have to cover all corners. Just a shame it's not at a reasonable level. The automated messaging is more tolerable than the staff announcements. Anyway, thanks again!

 

[Tio Terry]

If you have decided to go the Council complaint route then the one thing to do like is information. I have an App on my Iphone called Decibel X which is available via the App Store, it enables you to take sound level measurements where ever you want but if you take them at the same place, e.g. your patio or somewhere similar within your garden, at regular intervals over, say, a month you will have some evidence to show. Send it to the Council and the train Operator at regular intervals so that all the affected stakeholders are kept fully aware that you are collecting evidence.

 

[Zippy747]

Thanks, I've never heard of that app. I did use the Noise app which is supposedly monitored by your local council but they never ever fedback on it. We had an environmental health officer visit my neighbour last year but it was typical that
the announcements weren't that loud when he set up the equipment, so it wasn't loud enough for a noise abatement notice. I might try the app you suggested though. I do have a cheap decibel meter but you can't record a series of events so only
good for gauging a rough estimate at the time.

 

[Sultan]

I can certainly appreciate how intrusive these messages can be if you live near a station - maybe one day AI can be used to use the CCTV system to see if there's anyone on the platform to determine if an announcement is required.

This reminds me of my recent visit to the new Worcester Parkway station and how audible the regular announcements were from the main road over 100metres away as the crow flies. Admittedly the platforms are perched on top of a high embankment but you would have thought a brand new station would have technology to keep the announcements within the confines of the area in which they are required. It may be fields now, but by 2035 the whole area will be houses and part of a new town.

Hope you get it sorted - noise pollution is so much harder to deal with (and live with).

 

[Zippy747]

Thanks Sultan. I think AI may take over everything if we're not careful.

I hope the folk of Worcester don't have to suffer the same kind of nuisance.