U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has created new guidance to modernize train noise emission standards.
The new guidance will make way for high-speed rail in the U.S., Duffy said.
This administration is cutting through the red tape that has stopped rail innovators from building in America before. We’re making it attractive to businesses and investors to partner with USDOT and develop high speed rail here in the U.S.,” Duffy said.
Current standards focus on engine and mechanical sounds and overlook wind noise generated at speeds above 160 miles per hour. The FRA’s modernized framework includes a standard for high-speed trains operating between 160 and 220 miles per hour and an approval pathway for trains exceeding 220 mph. The new guidance also removes outdated requirements for operators that eliminates costly equipment modifications, officials said.
“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. Updating this rule will remove a major obstacle railroads currently face when trying to operate high speed trains,” FRA Administrator David Fink said.
While the standards remain the same for trains moving up to 160 mph, the new modern standards are expected to save high-speed rail developers $100 million over the next 30 years, officials said.