I live under a departure route for FRA... and there are in about 200 m away traintracks with high-speed and other trains, and these tracks split my village in two! Guess what wakes me up at night? Nope, not the planes (except occasional military transports on their way to Iraq or Afganistan), but freight trains!! We have a group "Cititzens against airplane noise" but I have never seen a group form against train noise!
About 4 years ago I visited a village just west of FRA... the planes are so low there, that you could almost pet their bellies... and what did I see? Brand new town houses being built! Who gives permission for that??? About 3 years later there was a report in television about the airplane noise and a gal was interviewed.. saying how she moved into her town house so her kids could be brought up in a quiet atmosphere. You guessed it! I recognised her town house as being one of those that I had seen being built! What kind of promises did her realtor make? Probably argueing that special "noise-free" windows are installed... great if you never open the windows or go outside in the garden! And I wouldn't doubt it, if she also regualarly goes to Mallorca or such for vacation
Westy