On track for a quieter future

Railways around the world are experiencing a renaissance as an environmentally-friendly means of transport that offers many advantages for sustainable development. However proposals for new lines or expansions of networks are often met with objections based on noise and vibration. Although railway operations will never be silent, it is clearly important to minimise their noise and vibration while not adding unnecessary cost or complication to their construction and operation. To be able to propose cost-effective mitigation measures it is essential to understand the sources of noise and vibration and the parameters that can influence them. Theoretical models are an important part of this process. Such models should be of sufficient detail to cover the most relevant parameters in a reliable way, but not over-complicated in order not to lose insight. This approach of developing appropriate models for the purpose of designing mitigation measures is illustrated through several examples and case studies including rolling noise, ground vibration and aerodynamic noise