Using theoretical models to design low-noise wheels and track

The main source of railway noise is the rolling of the steel wheel on the steel rail. Theoretical models of the phenomenon have been under development since the 1970s, culminating in the Track-Wheel Interaction Noise Software (TWINS). Using the TWINS model, it is possible to evaluate the rolling-noise behavior of different wheel and track designs and thereby derive new designs that are inherently quieter. An overview is given of the mechanisms involved in noise generation and the parameters that have the most influence on the noise are identified. It is usually important to reduce the noise from both the wheel and the track. Some examples are given of techniques that are being developed using the model with the aim of reducing the noise at the source