Although UIC, together with its members, achieved significant progress during the Covid-19 pandemic through virtual meetings, the noise and vibration technical experts working under the UIC Sustainability Platform took the opportunity to come together in person on 14 June in Paris. Making the most of being together again, the group engaged in a highly interactive and solution-focused workshop concerning noise and vibration issues on railways. This stimulating brainstorming event addressed the most pressing noise and vibration challenges of rail operations and infrastructure.

The ’Ideathon’ was designed to be open to all innovative ideas and to be an in-person event that allows members to interact and collaborate in a way not possible since the last face-to-face meeting in Berlin in March 2019. Getting back to basics with pens and paper, the group were creative and productive, generating many ideas for how the UIC and its members could work together serve to resolve common challenges. Lucie Anderton launched the event and gave a welcome speech to participants. The event was moderated by Jakob Oertli (SBB), Chair of the Noise and Vibration group, who then introduced the topics to be discussed and the session moderators:

• Curve squeal, moderated by Hielke Zandberg (ProRail)
• Noise reduction possibilities, moderated by Bernd Asmussen (DB)
• Rail roughness moderated by Emilie Freud (SBB)
• Vehicle noise including noise of parked trains, moderated by Christian Malek and Martijn Wolf (NS)
• Annoyance – Legislation – Noise bonus, moderated by Ethem Pekin (CER)
• Vibration, moderated by Ruediger Garburg (DB)

While the discussion sessions were underway, visual-thinking artists from the Flatland Agency helped to graphically define, list and illustrate the key points raised. The event succeeded in visually defining the ideas of members, so that they can be used in future planning and communication. Here you can find the summary of discussions and outcomes on each session: Visual Thinking approach in Ideathon on noise and vibration for railways

Building on NOVITÀ and LOWNOISEPAD, a broad range of possible future UIC opt-in projects were discussed, paving the way for a very active future for the Noise and Vibration sector.

Participants also took the opportunity to gather to honour Bernd Asmussen’s retirement (Deutsche Bahn) who was the coordinator of the EU-funded RIVAS project led by UIC. Members of the UIC Noise and Vibration sector expressed their gratitude for his outstanding work and involvement in supporting and encouraging knowledge sharing on behalf of Germany and wished him a pleasant retirement.

The Ideathon event set the themes for the UIC Railway Noise Days, the event that will take place on 28 February and 1 March 2023, at UIC headquarters in Paris. UIC’s next event with its members will be a meeting in Oslo on 18 and 19 October 2022, within the scope of the NOVITÀ project, followed by hosting policy makers, global railway actors, members and others interested in railway noise and vibration issues at the UIC Railway Noise Days in 2023.