Port Polska is drawing on international expertise as it advances plans for Poland’s future High-Speed Rail (HSR) network, with a recent technical visit to Spain focused on understanding how rail operators mitigate noise from trains travelling at up to 300 km/h.
The study forms part of the wider Port Polska investment programme, which aims to develop a modern high-speed rail system while minimising environmental impacts on communities located close to new railway corridors.
With Poland yet to operate a dedicated high-speed rail network, the company is looking to established European markets for proven engineering and operational solutions. Spain, home to almost 4,000km of high-speed railway, was selected as a key benchmark due to its extensive experience in designing, building and operating HSR infrastructure.
The visit was supported by Spanish engineering consultancy INECO and infrastructure manager ADIF, organisations that continue to work closely with Port Polska following the signing of a cooperation memorandum earlier this year.
Alicante Study Examines Real-World Performance
The measurement campaign took place in July at La Encina, in the province of Alicante, where more than 50 high-speed services pass through the area each day at speeds ranging from 250km/h to 300km/h.
The route features noise barriers between five and six metres high, providing an opportunity for Port Polska specialists to assess their effectiveness under live operating conditions.
Over a two-day period, engineers carried out acoustic measurements at varying distances from the railway, comparing locations protected by noise barriers with areas where no mitigation measures had been installed.
The team also observed the interaction between train noise and different infrastructure elements, including tunnels and other engineering structures, to gain a clearer understanding of how sound propagates in different environments.
The practical assessment enabled experts to move beyond reviewing technical documentation and modelling data by analysing the real-world performance of noise reduction measures on an operational high-speed railway.
International Experience to Shape Polish HSR Design
Spain's experience is particularly relevant as the country's high-speed rail network continues to expand into increasingly urbanised and densely populated areas. As a result, railway authorities have invested heavily in refining noise mitigation strategies and barrier technologies.
Insights gathered during the Alicante study will now feed into wider design assessments for Poland's planned High-Speed Rail network. Experts will compare different approaches and evaluate their effectiveness under operational conditions before selecting the most appropriate solutions.
According to Port Polska, there is no universal approach to railway noise protection. Instead, each section of route requires detailed analysis to determine the most effective combination of mitigation measures based on local environmental conditions.
The company says collaboration with international partners provides access to decades of expertise gained through the construction and operation of Europe's high-speed rail networks, helping ensure that Poland benefits from technologies and practices that have already been proven in service.
As work on the country's future high-speed rail system progresses, the findings from Spain are expected to contribute to the creation of a railway that balances operational performance, passenger connectivity and environmental responsibility.
Image credits: Port Polska
