Recent Studies on Wayside Environmental Problems

Abstract

Environmental problems along railway lines caused by passing trains include noise, low-frequency sound, micro-pressure waves radiating from tunnel portals, ground vibration, etc. It is necessary to mitigate the impact of these phenomena to make the railways more environmentally-friendly. This paper outlines recent studies with this objective in mind, carried out by the Railway Technical Research Institute, and focused on issues related to faster Shinkansen running speeds in particular.