RAILWAY NOISE: THE PHYSICS OF AIRBORNE SOUND GENERATION AND PROPAGATION

Abstract Research efforts for railway rolling noise control have increase considerably over the past five years. In particular, the development of the TWINS program has made it possible to develop innovative solutions such as optimized wheels. New measurement techniques with microphone arrays allow for a more accurate and detailed description of the sources and thus lead to a better understanding of noise generation and radiation phenomena. Nevertheless, the origin and growth of roughness, especially on rails, requires further study. Noise abatement techniques are often trivial and do not differ much from earlier ideas. Therefore the effort should not only be directed to more research, but also towards implementation of the most promising solutions.