A compression wave is attenuated or distorted as it propagates in a tube. The present study investigated the propagation characteristics of the compression waves which are generated by a train in a high-speed railway tunnel. A Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) difference scheme was applied to one-dimensional, unsteady viscous compressible flow. The numerical calculation involved the effects of wall friction, heat transfer and energy loss due to the friction heat in the boundary layer behind the propagating compression wave, and compared with the measurement results of a shock tube and a real tunnel. The present results show that attenuation of the compression wave in turbulent boundary layer is stronger than in laminar boundary layer, but nonlinear effect of the compression wave is greater in the laminar boundary layer. The energy loss due to the frictional heat had not influence on attenuation and distortion of the propagating compression waves.