Abatement of Rail Noise - Especially for Infrastructure -

Environmental noise is an important issue causing one of the most common public complaints in Germany and within the EU. Noise causes health threats, like cardiovascular effects and cognitive impairment and has an enormous negative economic impact. The most important source for rail noise is freight trains that operate around the clock. The enormous ecological "Achilles' heel" of railway traffic is the noise. Especially during the nights, the noise impairment is up to 25 dB(A) above the threshold, which is to be aspired in terms of a precautious health protection of the people. Noise is of high relevance with respect to any expansion, upgrade or construction measures for railway infrastructure. Therefore, it is agreed to increase noise protection measures to a wide degree. There are a number of technical noise abatement measures for the locomotive, the wagon and also the infrastructure available. Some of these measures on the infrastructure to abate railway noise are already and widespread used in Germany, especially noise barriers. In this presentation, we give an overview on further technical measures for infrastructure to efficiently abate railway noise, for example high-speed grinding or rail web shielding.