Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce noise both in the internal environment, in particular, with regard to underground trains, and the external environment, with greater use of noise barriers.

The Government believes that it is important to minimise the noise impacts of the railway on its neighbours and on passengers. We have actively contributed to the development of the new European noise technical specification for interoperability that sets limits on noise from new and upgraded rolling stock.

In the Government's most recent rail innovation competition, £2.75m of funding was awarded to projects aimed at reducing environmental impacts such as noise pollution. One of these projects will develop a noise barrier with an innovative design that will deflect noise upwards in order to reduce noise at a level comparable to a barrier of three times the height.

Transport for London is responsible for the London Underground and its noise impacts.