Impact of high-speed train vibrations on subsoil and built environment: Engineering-geological case studies from Poland

Abstract

This engineering-geological study evaluates the vibrational impact of high-speed rail traffic on subsoil and its implications for future buildings, in the context of environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure development. The research concerned a planned high-speed railway line from Warsaw to Vienna, on the section between Zawiercie and Grodzisk Mazowiecki in Poland. A unique and technically demanding large-scale field investigation was carried out through three case studies at distinct locations, based on measurements from multiple passes of the same high-speed train. The train successively traveled through the sites at increasing velocities, reaching a record speed for Poland, while measurements of vibrational impacts in the subsoil were conducted.Results reveal a clear relationship between increasing train speed and elevated vibrational acceleration in the subsoil, exceeding 5 cm/s2, which suggests that current safety limits and mandatory measurement distances of 25 meters may not adequately reflect real conditions. Excessive vibrational influence was observed at all sites, with variability caused by four main factors: hydrogeological conditions, engineering-geological structure, railway embankment geometry, and the presence of underground anti-vibration barriers. The strongest negative factor was identified as water-saturated geological conditions combined with fluvial gravel sediments characterized by low vibration damping. Conversely, the most effective positive factor was the underground anti-vibration barrier, which significantly increased vibration attenuation.The observed trendrising train speeds and increasing vibrational impact—represents a growing environmental and engineering challenge. The findings underline the need to update vibration standards and mitigation measures to protect both the built and natural environment. The proposed methodology and evaluation approach can be broadly applied to similar case studies related to sustainable transport infrastructure.