Residents living close to rail lines are used to the daily noise of trains, the sound of railway projects is a different matter – noise from rail improvements and repairs can fuel their resentment and prompt complaints, especially when work must be scheduled for the night hours. Echo Barrier’s series of noise abatement products help keep your project on track, on budget and helps cut out the complaints and subsequent headaches.
Contractors can face a fine balance in carrying out vital maintenance on our railways – working during the day is rarely an option, while doing so at night can make life a nightmare for those living close to the tracks or nearby and prompt intervention by local authorities.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, thanks to Echo Barrier’s series of industry-leading noise reduction solutions designed to help contractors meet stringent noise requirements.
We have more than three decades of experience in the rail industry and can share our knowledge and expertise with you.
A track record of noise reduction
Echo Barrier’s award-winning H-Series™ products are designed to maximise noise reduction for workers and residents alike.
Our innovative technology typically sees noise from rail works reduce by as much as 20dB – or 90%.
These high levels of noise reduction not only help minimise the disruption to local residents, but allows for night-time working. This not only ensures the minimum possible disruption to train timetables, but helps see projects complete ahead of expected schedules.
Designed to be hung from standard fencing and fitted or removed by just one worker, they can also be easily moved to the source of sound as projects progress.
Health and safety executives can also keep peace of mind knowing that while Echo Barrier products reduce excessive noise, they still allow for safe communications on-site to ensure instructions and safety warnings can be heard.
What’s more, they are weatherproofed and never get water-logged, ensuring they remain in top condition no matter the weather.
If required, our acoustic engineers can work with you from the start to finish of your project, helping make sure all needs are met and noise levels are never exceeded.
Portable and easy to use
All Echo Barrier products are designed with ease of use in mind. We understand the needs of the rail industry and how quickly sites need to be opened and closed.
Our barriers and enclosures are quick and easy to install on almost all structures with minimum manpower, even in the most constrictive of environments, and are just as quick to remove.
This helps ensure work can continue up and down the track without lengthy stop times and help keep maintenance efficient across the rail network.
Safety
As well as reducing noise for dedicated cutting and grinding operations, our series of panels and cutting stations are designed to protect people from physical harm – be they workers, residents or passengers.
Railways provide numerous health and safety risks – with or without trains on the track – and it is vital you do everything you can to keep workers safe.
Our barriers form a physical barrier to those around them, keeping dust and debris at bay. Our cutting station also has a purpose-built extraction option to improve ventilation.
Needed now more than ever
The government has listed public transport improvements as a key area in its levelling up agenda, with work on networks in the Midlands and the North high up on its to-do list.
But we have already seen through backlash towards the long-anticipated HS2 project that noise has the potential to derail any project.
It is imperative rail works do not exceed World Health Organisation guidelines, which limit the tolerated noise at sites to 44dB.
Echo Barrier products help ensure those levels are never exceeded. What’s more, as existing infrastructure ages, the need for repairs and upgrades mean our services are required more than ever before.
Success stories
Echo Barrier products played a key role in minimising disruption during the construction of The Elizabeth Line from its very inception, when the mammoth project was known as Crossrail. Our barriers helped cut out the noise for local residents and ensure the safety of all those involved.
Commuters were kept happy at Christmas time during lengthy track improvement works at Earl’s Court tube station in London in 2013. The station was closed for 12 days, but effective noise control was needed to enable longer working hours. Thanks to Echo Barrier, the project finished on time without a single noise complaint.
To learn more about how Echo Barrier products can help keep your project on track, contact our team on 0845 561 3246 or visit our website: www.echobarrier.co.uk.