The Federal Railroad Administration is proposing new noise limits for trains traveling above 160 mph, arguing that existing standards were written for conventional rail and create unnecessary barriers to high-speed systems.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Transportation is seeking to revise federal train-noise regulations that officials say were designed around conventional locomotives and now stand in the way of developing high-speed rail in the United States.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced July 31 that it is proposing a new framework for measuring and regulating noise from trains traveling faster than 160 mph. Transportation officials said the current rules focus largely on sounds produced by engines, mechanical equipment and rolling stock while failing to account adequately for aerodynamic noise created by air flowing around a train at very high speeds.
Once a train exceeds approximately 160 mph, wind resistance begins contributing more to the overall sound than the engine or wheels, according to the department.
“The aerodynamic noise resulting from airflow moving over and around the train begins to become the dominant contributor to the overall noise emitted,” the DOT said in its notice.
Because that aerodynamic sound can push high-speed trains beyond the existing federal limit, developers may be required to make costly design changes even when the trains are operating as intended and using modern technology.
Federal rules currently establish a maximum operating noise level of 90 dB(A), a measurement of decibels adjusted to reflect how sound is perceived by the human ear.
Under the proposed standards, trains operating above 160 mph would be permitted to produce as much as 96 dB(A). The allowable level would rise to 103 dB(A) for trains traveling faster than 160 mph and up to 220 mph.
Systems capable of exceeding 220 mph, including magnetic-levitation trains, would not be subject to a fixed numerical ceiling under the proposal. Instead, operators would have to complete a separate approval process addressing the specific noise characteristics of the train and project.
The Transportation Department said the changes would eliminate obsolete requirements and prevent manufacturers and rail developers from having to perform “costly, unnecessary” modifications to existing trainsets.
The FRA estimated that the revisions could save high-speed rail developers approximately $100 million over 30 years.
Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink said the current standards place high-speed trains at a disadvantage because the regulations evaluate individual sources of sound rather than the full noise profile created during operation.
“One of the reasons we don’t have true high speed rail in the United States is because current rules disadvantage trains that generate most of their noise from sources other than their engines and rolling stock instead of approaching the issue holistically,” Fink said.
“Updating this rule will remove a major obstacle railroads currently face when trying to operate high speed trains.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the administration is “cutting through the red tape” that has impeded technological development and investment in American rail.
Duffy contrasted the proposed regulatory changes with the previous administration’s support for California’s high-speed rail system, which he called a multibillion-dollar “Train to Nowhere.” Federal funding for that project was canceled last year.
The California plan was intended to connect San Francisco with Los Angeles and Anaheim through an approximately 800-mile passenger rail network capable of operating trains at speeds of up to 200 mph.
When the funding was withdrawn, Duffy said the California High-Speed Rail Authority had failed to install a single mile of high-speed track after 16 years and roughly $15 billion in spending.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom disputed that characterization and said more than 50 major rail structures and over 60 miles of guideway had already been completed.
The proposed noise changes follow a broader effort by the FRA to eliminate regulations the administration considers outdated or unnecessarily restrictive.
On May 12, the agency announced that it had finalized 11 deregulatory actions and removed more than 1,000 words from the Federal Register. Officials said the changes were intended to give railroads greater flexibility to adopt modern operating practices, improve safety and introduce new technology.
“We can’t build big, beautiful infrastructure that will serve Americans for generations if our industries are burdened by outdated regulations that stifle innovation and ignore the latest safety practices,” Duffy said at the time. “These critical updates will enhance safety, support our great rail workforce, and enable the next wave of innovative technologies on our tracks.”
The administration has also continued directing federal money toward conventional rail infrastructure. In April, the Transportation Department announced $2.04 billion in investments intended to modernize the national rail system, improve passenger travel and strengthen the reliability of freight transportation.
The funding was designated for projects addressing rail congestion, regional infrastructure upgrades and safety initiatives designed to reduce injuries and deaths.
The proposed high-speed noise standards would address a separate regulatory obstacle by distinguishing aerodynamic sound from the mechanical noise produced by slower trains. Transportation officials said the change would give developers a more practical path for designing and operating rail systems capable of reaching speeds common in other countries without requiring modifications solely to comply with standards written before modern high-speed technology became feasible.
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