NOISE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF HIGH SPEED STEEL WHEEL VEHICLES

A review of scales used for rating environmental noise is presented. One scale, the day-night equivalent noise level, is discussed in detail. Noise levels from present steel-wheel, steel-rail trains are presented and extrapolated for higher speed operation. This information is combined to predict the region of noise impact near a high-speed rail right-of-way. A comparison is made with the region of noise impact near a limited access highway with the same passenger flow rate. It is shown that (1) the region of noise environmental impact for high-speed trains is almost identical to the region of impact for a limited access highway with no trucks, and (2) that the region of impact may be reduced dramatically by using wayside acoustical barriers.

• Corporate Authors:

  Planning Transport Associates, Incorporated

  P.O. Box 4824, Duke Station
  Durham, NC  United States  27706
• Authors:
  • WITTIG, L E
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 417-424
• Serial:
  • High Speed Ground Transportation Journal
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acoustic emission tests; High speed rail; Noise; Noise barriers; Noise sources; Railroads; Sound level
• Old TRIS Terms: Wheel screech noise
• Subject Areas: Environment; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00095246
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM