Abstract The finite-element and boundary-element methods were applied to develop the low-stress and low-noise lightweight railway wheel. First, stress analyses for the existing wheels under the condition of drag braking or track loading were performed. Following these analyses, a design methodology was developed and applied, leading to the development of new plate shapes of the wheel, whose stresses generated were lower than those of conventional wheels. Candidate plate shapes were selected based on the analyses. Next, eigenvalue analyses and transient dynamic analyses were carried out for the wheels. At the same time, to verify the analytical results, these wheels were manufactured and experiments implemented. Finally, acoustic analyses were performed and results compared with those obtained by field measurements. From this study, a new plate shape of the lightweight railway wheel was obtained, which reduces the radiated noise as well as the maximum stresses generated in the plate region to a remarkable extent.