EU Railway Noise Regulation (TSI Noise Interoperability Technical Standard)
ENFORCEMENT TIMELINE
Phased application in 2024–2025; mandatory "quiet train" operation across European routes from 2026
Overview
Under the EU's Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and railway interoperability regulations, "TSI Noise" (the Technical Specification for Interoperability relating to Noise) is a strict set of technical standards aimed at drastically reducing environmental noise pollution across Europe's major rail networks.
The regulation requires that all new and existing freight and passenger rail vehicles operating within the EU — including their braking systems — meet specified maximum noise decibel (dB) limits. From 2025 to 2026, the use of conventional cast-iron brake blocks is being progressively banned entirely on designated "Quieter Routes," with mandatory conversion to composite brake blocks.
Enforcement Timeline
2019: The European Commission publishes the revised TSI Noise Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/774), setting noise-reduction targets for existing freight cars.
December 2024: A ban on high-noise freight trains operating on designated "Quieter Routes" within the EU takes effect.
2025–2026: The scope of application expands across all European routes, with full-scale conformity audits of new composite brake shoes and newly designed low-noise bogies.
Business Impact
Manufacturers exporting rail vehicles, bogies, brake systems, wheels, and brake blocks to Europe (the UK, Germany, France, and other markets) must design and supply products that pass TSI Noise's strict noise certification (third-party conformity testing). Parts without certification cannot be operated or adopted anywhere on the European rail network.
For design teams, acoustic modeling to suppress braking friction noise and wheel/bogie resonance during operation, along with the development of new materials, has become essential for winning business in the European market.