Extended validation of a theoretical model for railway rolling noise using novel wheel and track designs

A theoretical model for railway rolling noise, TWINS, was first developed some years ago and was previously validated against field measurements for conventional wheel and track designs. This model has subsequently been used in the design of noise-reducing wheels and tracks. An outcome of the recent Silent Freight and Silent Track projects was a series of novel designs that were tested in a comprehensive field experiment. Alongside this development, the theoretical model has been updated to improve accuracy and include new features. The results of 34 wheel/track combinations that were measured in field experiments are compared with corresponding predictions using the improved model. It is found that the mean difference between measured and predicted overall A-weighted sound pressure levels is less than 2 dB while the standard deviation is 1.9 dB. The improved accuracy of the model is also shown by a reanalysis of the original validation experiments.