In-Depth Focus: Noise & Vibrations

Setting a common approach to reducing rail noise pollution

Oscar Martos and Kamil Pravdík, Project Officers in the Fixed Installations and Rolling Stock Unit at the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), discuss how the European Union has begun to confront railway noise emissions through the creation of the Environmental Noise Directive and how, going forward, EU countries will begin to comply with the legal framework. 

Hydrogen-powered trains and their benefits in noise and vibration reduction

University of Toronto Mechanical Engineering Graduate, Kerrick Lannon-Paakspuu, and colleagues, explore the use of hydrogen as an environmentally friendly energy carrier for railway vehicle propulsion and its benefits in noise and vibration reduction. 

A practical perspective on railway-induced ground-borne noise and vibrations

Railway-induced vibration is usually accompanied by ground-borne noise. The severity of both can vary from country to country, can depend on ground/soil type, plus train wheel and track type. Here, Arcadis colleagues focus on two main challenges and present simple, practical methodologies which the rail industry can utilise to help address vibration and noise problems.

Interview Spotlight

Thomas Lorent at Pandrol identifies what the main causes are of rail noise and vibration problems, what can be done to mitigate the nuisance and provides his thoughts on how the industry must move forward to ensure these problems do not get worse in the future.