Widespread area estimation of Shinkansen Superexpress Railway noise for noise mapping in Japan

The Environmental Quality Standards for Shinkansen Superexpress Railway (SSR) Noise in Japan stipulate that the maximum noise level measured at a representative point 25 meters away from the railway track is used for evaluation, without any estimation of noise levels, such as road-traffic noise evaluation for the Environmental Quality Standards for Noise in Japan. In this study, a noise estimation model being studied by the Ministry of Environment in Japan was referred and its accuracy was verified by comparing it with actual measurements. A trial estimation of the SSR noise levels was conducted in the area along the SSR line in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The estimated values were accurate to within a plus or minus 5 dB at 34 out of 56 receiver points when compared to the measured values. However, the accuracy was poor in areas near tunnel entrances and where multiple reflections from noise barriers were present, which were not taken into account in the noise estimation model. The results of the widespread area estimation showed that the noise level variation within an area was significantly affected by the location of buildings in relation to the railway tracks.