Transporting goods and passengers by rail is not noiseless. To reduce noise and increase public acceptance of rail transport, Deutsche Bahn, together with the federal government, aims to further ease the burden on local residents.

One effective tool to reduce noise are retarders. These brakes slow down freight cars as they roll from the hump to their target tracks in the marshalling yard. While this may sound simple, it is anything but trivial. In mixed trains, freight cars of various types are coupled together, each with different properties. Additionally, wind direction and speed significantly affect the speed and braking behavior of each individual car.

Therefore, retarders must be powerful while consuming minimal energy and operating quietly. To achieve this, Deutsche Bahn relies on innovative technologies – for example, at the Seddin marshalling yard.There, DB has installed and commissioned a total of 28 electromagnetic retarders. These brakes are not only quieter than hydraulic directional retarders but also consume significantly less energy. As a result, Deutsche Bahn is evaluating whether this innovative braking technology can be deployed at other marshalling yards as well.