18.11.2021
Artikel Nummer: 38603
Ban on noisy freight wagons pays off
Noise pollution from railfreight traffic in Germany has decreased significantly with the ban on loud freight wagons, according to checks carried out by the German federal railway authority (Eisenbahn-Bundesamt, EBA).
Between May 2019 and September 2021, the proportion of quiet freight wagons at the EBA's measuring stations rose from 56% to almost 90%.
In Andernach and Lahnstein in the Middle Rhine Valley, which are particularly affected by rail noise, more than 94% of freight wagons are already equipped with the whisper brakes, according to Allianz pro Schiene. When passing, they produce a sound of less than 86 dB. A noise level above this value is considered particularly harmful to health. (ben)