Climate protection initiatives

On train journeys, energy savings of up to 10 % can be achieved through appropriate driving and special vehicle technology. Our locomotive drivers are instructed on this during their training and are also regularly trained in practice during rides or on driving simulators. Digital driving assistance systems support the locomotive drivers in lowering energy consumption during a train journey. The winner: the environment. Energy-efficient Driving Quiet braking technologies are the most important mea- sure in freight rail transport for containing noise emis- sions: In this way, we can combat noises right at their source. We are thus equipping all of the freight wagons currently in operation with new, quiet soles. This whisper brake has plastic or ceramic brake pads and reduces the wagons’ rolling noise by about 10 dB. That corresponds to halving the noise . The new brake pads do not roughen the running surfa- ces of the wheels, which means that the rail surface does not roughen either. Both components – running surface and rail – remain smooth and thus quiet. In this way, we protect nearby residents and other affected parties from disturbances. By the end of 2023, more than 99 % of the entire fleet has been equipped with quiet brakes, meaning that it already met the legal guidelines that came into force in 2024. Quiet Tracks Initiative And we’re going one step further. 6 „Quiet braking technologies are the most important measure in freight rail transport for containing noise emissions.“ Whitepaper Climate Protection of the Rail Cargo Group