In this article, the sonRAIL emission model for railway noise in Switzerland is presented. The model allows precise calculation of emission levels taking into account all relevant variables. The emission levels are determined as sound power spectra for five source heights. The rolling noise is calculated using roughness spectra for wheel and rail. Total rolling noise is sub-divided into track superstructure and vehicle components. The influence of different superstructure types is taken into account using transfer functions. The article explains the calculation procedures as well as the measurement procedures used to generate the model. A method of noise monitoring based on indirect roughness measurements is presented for the acquisition of model data.