Münster decides: Coming noise protection walls along the train!

Münster decides: Coming noise protection walls along the train!

The municipal council in Münster made a controversial decision on Monday evening: it approved the construction of noise barriers along the Darmstadt-Achaffenburg railway line. This measure is part of an extensive noise renovation program that Deutsche Bahn is planning in the region. The vote in the town hall resulted in 21 votes for the project from the ranks of the SPD, FDP and Alma-Die Greens, while 12 votes from the CDU were against it. This clear majority sets a sign in a debate that has been heated up in recent months.

The noise barriers, which are to be built in 2027 over a length of more than one kilometer between Münster and Altheim, will reach a height of 2.50 meters. According to the plans, 1020 meters are planned on the north side and 1142 meters on the south side of the railway line. The project was already presented by Deutsche Bahn in a citizens' meeting in October, where the residents could have their say. However, there were different opinions on the subject in the community, which is also reflected in previous collections of signatures, which showed a significant rejection of the noise barriers on the Münster side.

dispute over the noise barriers

Critics of the project, in particular from the CDU, argue that the noise from the parallel B26 is a greater concern. These votes therefore called for alternative measures to reduce traffic noise instead of dealing with rail noise. However, a change in the change of the CDU, which was explicitly directed against the construction of the walls, did not find a majority. This shows how split the views in the community.

The SPD parliamentary group leader Jürgen Müller, who lives in Altheim, reports more encouragement for the noise protection measure in his living environment. He sees the walls as a necessary measure to protect residents from rail noise. It remains to be seen how the legal and social challenges that arise from the different opinions can be solved in the next few months and years.

Babenhausen and other community projects

In the neighboring town of Babenhausen, on the other hand, a decision was made in September: The city council unanimously voted for participation in the Deutsche Bahn noise rehabilitation program. Various heights of the noise barriers are planned here, which differ between three meters in the core city and two meters in Sickenhofen and again three meters in Hergershausen. The municipality also pursues the goal of improving the quality of life of its citizens through targeted noise protection measures.

The construction work in Münster is to begin. The ongoing discourse on the need and effectiveness of the noise protection walls will probably continue to employ residents in the coming months. While the positive aspects of a reduction in rail noise are discussed, the question of how to effectively tackle road traffic noise without neglecting the interests of the affected residents.

The debate about the noise barriers shows how complex the topic of noise protection in the region is and that different perspectives and concerns have to be taken into account in order to come to a fair solution. op-online.de reports that the decision could also have long-term effects on the municipalities in the surrounding area.