Vibrations are inevitable in rail traffic. SBB is doing all it can to minimise them.

Metal wheels rolling on rails not only make noise, but also cause mechanical oscillations which spread through the ground, building foundations and walls and are also transmitted into living space. Residents perceive these oscillations as vibrations or hear an unpleasant dull humming.

Between now and 2013, SBB is testing low-cost vibration-damping solutions for existing track sections within the scope of an EU project. One highly promising technique is sleeper padding, which SBB has been trial-testing on a heavily used route at the southern foot of the Jura mountains since October 2011. SBB has installed various types of elastic pads underneath the sleepers along a stretch of about 1,000 meters of track. The ongoing tests are enabling SBB to study how such padding affects the track and its effectiveness in reducing vibrations. Sleeper padding is significantly cheaper than conventional under-ballast mats and could offer an economical alternative if the tests are successful.