Environmental Noise Reduction of Tokaido Shinkansen and Future Prospect

This paper describes the technical review of the environmental noise reduction of Tokaido Shinkansen and its future prospect. Current environmental quality standards for Shinkansen railway noise were established in 1975 by the Environmental Agency, Japan. The Japanese Cabinet agreed on “general principles for countermeasures against Shinkansen railway noise” in 1976. Based on the principles, Central Japan Railway Company has spent a great effort to reduce the railway noise at source. Owing to measures, the wayside noise has been remarkably decreased. On the other hand, the land use planning has not been strongly enforced. So there are regrettably some problems on later inhabitants along the Shinkansen railroad.