Passenger noise exposure in London underground

The London Underground network carries almost half of London's commuters, and is the most heavily used mode of public transport in London. Its routes are 402 km long in total and it is used by over 1.2 billion passengers annually1. Though very efficient and convenient, travelling by Tube can be a noisy experience which could have potential impact on commuters’ hearing health. There is a wealth of research and information on impacts of occupational noise on hearing health. However, there is very little known on the potential impacts of transportation noise on passengers’ hearing health. The aim of this study is to determine and assess potential noise induced hearing loss caused by commuting on the London Underground when various practical noise exposure scenarios are considered.