Numerical modeling of wheel-rail squeal-exciting contact

•A 3D FE dynamic interaction model is proposed to simulate wheel-rail squeal-exciting contact.•The squeal-exciting contact is investigated with considerations of dynamic effects, unsteady lateral creepage and velocity-dependent friction.•Continuum and structural dynamics are included in the solution of frictional rolling contact.•Large-creepage-induced waves which share features with Rayleigh wave are discovered.•Two widely accepted generation mechanisms of frictional instability can be tackled by the model.