SBB Cargo despite the Law with Noise-Reduced Freight Cars

Since the beginning of 2020, only noise-reduced freight cars are permitted on the Swiss rail network. SBB Cargo supports the new law but faces significant challenges regarding import and export traffic. This is how the railway addresses the difficulties.

(Olten, 20.04.2020) “Anyone who wants to promote the shift to rail must meet the needs of the neighbors,” says Malte Günther, Head of Indirect Sales and Strategic Pricing at SBB Cargo. In other words: To maintain the acceptance of rail freight transport in the population, it must become quieter. After the federal government had already invested in noise protection buildings and the renovation of domestic cars as part of the first noise protection program until 2015, a ban on non-noise-reduced freight cars followed on January 1, 2020. Since the beginning of the year, only “low-noise” freight cars are allowed in Switzerland.

SBB Cargo supports the new regulation and has modified the braking system of its approximately 5000 cars by the end of 2019. The old gray cast iron brake shoes were replaced with new, quieter composite shoes made from composite materials. This allows the cars to meet the new European noise limit of 83 decibels.

Forerunner in Switzerland In terms of noise reduction, Switzerland plays an important role: it is the first country to implement the ban on non-noise-reduced freight cars. Similar laws will apply in Europe from 2024/2025. However, this pioneering role poses challenges, especially for SBB Cargo. “The implementation is a challenge because we lack experience and system support,” explains Malte Günther. While each railway company has its own database with information about the fleet – such as whether a car is noise-reduced or not – a harmonized European database does not yet exist. “In cross-border rail freight transport, the data control of the railway cars before entering Switzerland is currently only possible manually.” Günther estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the cars coming to Switzerland are not noise-reduced.

With a message broker – a computer program that transfers data from A to B – it should be possible by the end of 2020 to synchronize the information from the individual databases. This way, earlier intervention can occur when non-noise-reduced cars are in import and export traffic. If a corresponding train is, for example, on its way to Switzerland, SBB Cargo receives a notification and can react before the train crosses the border. Currently, SBB Cargo does not refuse any trains, although this would theoretically be possible. However, if civil lawsuits against the railway arise in the future due to the new legal situation, the company would have to stop such trains before the border. This, in turn, should be avoided, as Günther makes clear: “It would be anything but beneficial for rail freight transport, as there is a risk that certain transports would be shifted back to the road.”

Partners in Duty The civil law aspect is one thing; the loss of the noise bonus for entire trains in which a non-noise-reduced freight car operates is another. If car owners repeatedly violate the law, they could even lose their network access permit. While the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) intends to “only” issue warnings in the first year for violations, SBB Cargo is already taking measures to prevent potential fines from the federal government and is continuously informing its customers and foreign partners. Any fines will be charged to the respective contractual partner. The same applies to compensation payments if the noise bonus is revoked. To maintain the financial incentive for noise reduction, the BAV has decided to continue paying the bonus funds introduced during the first noise protection program until 2024. The amount of the bonus depends on the type of car and the kilometers traveled. “We are talking about sometimes considerable sums that would otherwise be lost to the car owners,” explains Malte Günther, calculating: After 20,000 kilometers traveled, this results in a bonus of around 1600 Swiss francs for a so-called tank car (chemical and mineral transport).

Barrier-Free Through Switzerland To strengthen barrier-free cross-border rail traffic, the Federal Council decided in November 2019 to adopt the technical pillar of the fourth EU railway package. The railway package aims to harmonize and make rail transport in the EU more competitive. It includes market regulatory and technical measures. With the technical pillar, approval procedures are harmonized and simplified. Until now, rolling stock manufacturers and railway companies had to undergo an approval process in every country where their trains are used. Since June 2019, the European Railway Agency (ERA) has been granting approvals and safety certificates. For multi-country approvals, a single application is now sufficient. The complete adoption of the new regulation into Swiss law will take place in two steps: In November 2019, the railway ordinance was amended. In a second step, the procedures of Switzerland and the EU must be merged, and the railway law must be adjusted accordingly.

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