Queensland Rail addresses Woombye light & klaxon noise but nothing yet on air con units

One of the New Generation Rollingstock trains, some of which are out of action at Woombye Stabling Facility.

Press Release from Queensland Rail June 22:

Queensland Rail will make changes to the operation of the Woombye stabling yard following concerns from surrounding residents.

Queensland Rail CEO Nick Easy said Queensland Rail had been liaising with Woombye residents for the past three months to try and minimise lighting and noise impacts.

The Woombye stabling yard became operational in late-February 2020 and stables four New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trains.

“We’re conscious of how train activities can impact nearby residents and, following community feedback, we have sent technicians to the Woombye facility to assess the lighting and noise generated from the yard,” he said.

“During this assessment, we identified improvements could be made to the dimming function on the directional LED lighting at the yard.

“As at Thursday 18 June 2020, all 40 overhead lights are now dimmed to 50 per cent, from dusk until dawn, approximately 5pm to 6am depending upon the season. From late July, all 40 overhead lights will be turned off from midnight to 5am and will activate via a sensor at 50 per cent for CCTV security purposes.”

Mr Easy said a solution to concerns about the noise of the train horns (klaxons) had been challenging, but he was confident Queensland Rail’s proposed solution would maintain its strict safety requirements and address the concerns of residents.

“Safety is Queensland Rail’s first priority and any proposed changes needed to meet strict safety guidelines,” he said.

“As of Monday 22 June, we will significantly reduce the number of horns sounded with plans to go from 22 sounded daily between 5am and 7am to three.

“We are achieving this through speed reductions from 25km/hr to 8km/hr when the trains exit the stabling gate to the pedestrian crossing.

“I am confident residents will welcome these changes, which address noise and lighting concerns while also maintaining our strict safety and security requirements.”

Mr Easy said members of Queensland Rail’s Executive Leadership Team had attempted to facilitate a meeting with members of the Woombye community to share the improvements and solutions but had not received a response on a suitable meeting time. Written confirmation of the changes has been shared with the community.

Queensland Rail had also implemented noise and light mitigation measures, including the installation of a noise barrier and shields on the surrounding streetlights, during the yard’s construction, he said.

More than 10,300 square metres of vegetation had also been planted at the facility during construction to minimise its impact on surrounding residents.

Mr Easy said Queensland Rail, the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Bombardier would continue to work together to address concerns about the level of noise being produced by the air-conditioning units on the NGR trains.