Influence of types of railway traffic on ground borne vibration towards vibration threshold limit

Ground-borne vibration (GBV) presents critical challenges in urban environments when levels exceed residential thresholds. This study investigates the influence of train type, speed, distance, soil conditions, coach length, and ballast and embankment height on GBV. Findings reveal that high-speed trains operating at 80–160 km/h generated the highest PPVs, with most values surpassing the 0.8 mm/s DOE guideline even at 7 m. Commuter trains exhibited intermediate vibration levels, whereas LRT systems produced the lowest PPVs, largely within perceptibility limits. Vibrations attenuated with distance but were amplified in soft soils. The CART regression model identified train speed (100%) and distance (79.7%) as the dominant predictors, with strong predictive accuracy (R2 = 97.94% training; 97.75% testing). These results emphasise the need for effective GBV management strategies in dense urban settings.