Peter Ainsworth, Member of Parliament for East Surrey, has continued his campaign to end the misery caused by excessively loud train horns by tabling a Motion in Parliament.

Peter Ainsworth said today, ‘I have received numerous complaints from residents of Lingfield, Hurst Green, Oxted and Whyteleafe about the unacceptable level of noise pollution created by the new train horns. People are reporting loss of sleep, stress and depression as a result of this blight. I have even had reports of constituents getting tinnitus, and of children needing to be given sleeping tablets.

‘I have raised this issue with both Southern Rail and Network Rail, and I recently held discussions with the Noise Abatement Society. It is now clear that the buck stops with the rail regulator – who should face up to his responsibility for the environmental impact of the railways.

‘I have therefore tabled an Early Day Motion, calling on the rail regulator to act now and end the misery caused by train horns.’

Peter Ainsworth’s Early Day Motion (number 841) reads:

That this House deplores the distress and disruption to sleep and day-to-day life caused by noise from train horns; believes that the installation of broadband horns would produce a significant reduction in the nuisance caused by train horns; notes that industry estimates indicate that broadband horns can be fitted at a cost of £700 per train; urges train operating companies to take effective action to end the blight of excessive train horn noise; and calls on the Office of the Rail Regulator to discharge its duties under section 4(3)(b) of the Railways Act 1993 (as amended) to ensure that members of the public are not subjected to severe noise pollution arising from the operation of the railways.

Under the Railways Act 1993, the Office of Rail Regulation has responsibility for danger caused by the railways, and for the environmental effects of the railways.

Peter Ainsworth has said that the nuisance caused by train horns is noise pollution, and the effects on many residents is clearly a ‘danger’.

The Health and Safety Executive, to whose advice the Office of Rail Regulation is required to have regard, recommends the use of warning lights at footpath and bridleway crossings, where whistle boards (signs instructing a train driver to sound the horn) are inappropriate, for example in built-up areas.

In the United States , broadband sound or ‘white noise’ is used as an alternative to conventional air horns.