Noise is a key concern for people living near transport infrastructure, and can be damaging to both health and general well-being. Although train noise is already much less intrusive than noise from air and road traffi c (see Figure 5), the railway sector wants to reduce noise even further, especially that caused by freight trains. Many of these trains still use loud cast-iron brake blocks, unlike passenger trains, most of which use disc brakes. The traditional solution has been to erect noise barriers and install sound insulation in nearby buildings, but tackling the problem at the source is a.
