environment
Federal Railway Authority: Freight trains make less noise
A freight train pulled by an electric locomotive from Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) passes the station in the village of Priort in the municipality of Wustermark in Brandenburg. Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
They still make noise, but not as much as they used to: according to measurements, freight trains pass the houses of residents less loudly – but perhaps more frequently in the future.
One year after the ban on particularly loud freight wagons, trains run significantly more quietly through Germany. This was the result of measurements by the Federal Railway Authority at 19 stations to which the Allianz pro Schiene association pointed out.
In the past two and a half years, the proportion of freight wagons that generate noise below 86 decibels has increased from 56 percent to almost 90 percent.
Nationwide, 137,000 freight wagons with new noise-reducing brake blocks were registered in September, almost 39 percent more than at the end of 2019. The vehicles are about ten decibels quieter than conventional ones, which, according to industry information, corresponds to a perceived halving of the volume.
“Many residents of busy rail freight routes benefit from the significantly reduced noise pollution,” said Allianz managing director Dirk Flege. “The ban on loud freight wagons is effective and the improvement is noticeable for the people affected.”
Abrasion makes noise
According to the authorities, around every tenth registered car still has the conventional gray cast iron brake pads. Because of the strong abrasion, they ensure that the wagon wheels roll louder.
Violations are only to be punished with sanctions one year after the ban has come into force. With this, the federal government reacted to the fact that workshop capacities for retrofitting were limited in the corona crisis.
Germany was the first country in Europe to have banned particularly loud freight wagons, and an EU-wide ban on certain routes will follow in 2024. The restrictions are also intended to help local residents accept the planned expansion of rail traffic. You can expect quieter trains, but also significantly more traffic.
Deutsche Bahn alone wants to increase the transport performance of its cargo division by 70 percent. In the future, trains are to transport 25 percent of goods instead of the previous 18 percent. This is supposed to replace 13 million truck trips a year so that less carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere.