OREANDA-NEWS. April 25, 2012. Innovative railway  track that reduces train noise has been installed for the first time in the UK  at Blackfriars station in London. The special  railway track, called SilentTrack®, was developed by British  scientists and engineers at Tata Steel. It will reduce rail traffic noise in  and around Blackfriars - one of the capital's busiest stations - by up to 50%.

The installation  of 0.8 miles (1.3km) of SilentTrack is part of the Thameslink Programme - a  major project that will lead to the deployment of more frequent, longer, brand  new trains on the Thameslink line and bring about big improvements to three  central London stations by 2018.

David Benton, one  of the Tata Steel engineers who developed SilentTrack, said: "With increased  traffic through Blackfriars as part of the Thameslink Programme it was  important to consider measures to keep noise to a minimum for local residents  and businesses.

"SilentTrack will  reduce peak noise levels from moving trains by about a half. This means the  enhanced railway, when it opens later this year, will have no greater noise  impact than the existing railway."

SilentTrack, which  is already in operation in 13 countries, uses patented dampers attached to the  sides of railway track to absorb vibration in the track as trains move over it,  which reduces their overall noise impact. The dampers are made in the UK from  Scunthorpe-made steel encased in a rubber-like material, and are acoustically  tuned to the track.

SilentTrack was  developed when Tata Steel engineers teamed up with acoustic experts at the  world-renowned lnstitute of Sound and Vibration Research at the University of Southampton. In-depth research was undertaken into sources of railway noise and  the team developed a system to reduce noise after focusing on the wheel/rail  interface

More than 90 miles  (140km) of SilentTrack has already been installed worldwide in locations that  include Sydney, Oslo and the Rhine Valley.

Mike Poulter, Tata Steel's rail marketing manager, said: "SilentTrack is an innovative and unique  product designed to meet the need for quieter rail traffic in projects around  the world.

"Our research  engineers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, helped to develop the product after we  identified growing public demand for noise reduction, particularly in urban areas. SilentTrack also provides a simple, cost-effective solution to address  the requirements of new European noise legislation."