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Projects - Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

FRA Handbook for the Measurement, Analysis, and Abatement of Railroad Noise Update, Ongoing

In support of the FRA, Volpe Acoustics is developing the updated "Handbook for the Measurement, Analysis, and Abatement of Railroad Noise." This document will reflect numerous improvements and changes to railroad noise measurement, analysis and abatement techniques that have been developed since the original 1982 publication. In particular, the objectives of this document are to provide (1) guidance on compliance with FRA and EPA noise measurement and monitoring regulations; and (2) up-to-date noise measurement, monitoring, analysis and abatement procedures, techniques and recommendations in a straight-forward, easily-referencable format. Overall, this handbook will address both acoustical and non-acoustical issues associated with railroad noise measurement, monitoring, analysis and abatement.

Sponsor: FRA, Office of Safety

Wayside Horn Testing, Ongoing

As part of ongoing efforts to improve safety at highway-railroad grade-crossings, the FRA is conducting research into all aspects of audible warning systems. Volpe Acoustics has performed testing and analysis to support this research in several areas, including perceptibility of warning signals inside vehicles, annoyance of residents near grade-crossings due to audible warning signals, and effectiveness of Automated Horn Systems (AHS). The AHS concept involves the installation of a permanent audible warning system at or near a highway-railroad grade-crossing. This system would be activated automatically by an approaching train, and would replace the use of engineer-initiated train whistle warnings. This concept has two major benefits: since it is automated, it does not require the engineer's action, and because it is localized to the grade-crossing, the negative impact on community noise is minimized.

Sponsors: FRA, Office of Research and Development
/ FRA, Office of Safety Analysis