Sergio Perez
Stadler Valencia

Noise and ground vibration performances play a central role in the development and attractiveness of the urban rail system and therefore they must be considered as top requirements for any modern light rail solution and drive the vehicle architecture and design solutions. Low vehicle noise and ground vibration emissions are required by infrastructure managers and transit authorities to assure a smooth introduction of rail vehicles in an urban environment without affecting the comfort and well-being of nearby residents and businesses.

This presentation will review how rail vehicle noise and ground vibration performances are nowadays specified by infrastructure managers and transit authorities. This study will also discuss modern truck solutions, specifically, the influence of suspension characteristics, wheelset configuration, drive arrangement and wheel/rail geometry on noise and vibration performances. The discussion will be based on multi-body simulation (MBS) results obtained from Stadler test-correlated models.

Low unsprung masses, a “conventional” railway wheelset, an optimized wheel design, and a balanced suspension design are the main vehicle characteristics that optimize vehicle noise and ground vibrations.

Stadler well-known rail low-floor vehicle solution proposes state-of-the-art truck designs to minimize vibroacoustic phenomena while maximizing passenger ride experience at the same time that benefits maintenance and cost.