In the last ten years there has been increasing pressure from residents, environmental lobbyists and legislators to reduce railway noise levels. In Switzerland, Austria and Italy (amongst other countries), legislation has been introduced that sets tight limits on the amount of noise railways are allowed to create (and inherently the traffic levels they can achieve). Anumber of Working Groups has been established by the EU's Environment Commission to determine the EU's future policy on potential noise legislation. Unless due consideration of all the factors (economic, technical, environmental) is taken into account, new legislation could have a potentially serious impact on rail transport and could particularly interfere with the environmentally encouraged growth of traffic from other sectors such as road and air. STAIRRS provides the relevant information needed for informed discussion and decision making and helps stimulate the debate required to ensure that a fair but effective solution is reached. There is little point introducing severe limits if they are not technically or economically achievable.