Railway Noise and Vibration: the Use of Appropriate Models to Solve Practical Problems

Railways are an environmentally friendly means of transport that offer many advantages for sustainable development. However, noise and vibration remain a major reason for objections to new lines or network expansions. Railways will never be silent but, it is nevertheless important to reduce their noise and vibration as much as possible while not adding unnecessary cost or complication to their construction and operation. To achieve this it is essential to understand the sources of noise and vibration and the parameters that can influence them in order to propose cost-effective mitigation measures. 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 related to rolling noise, aerodynamic noise and ground vibration.