Trains master noise hurdle: progress in noise protection in the Middle Rhine Valley!

Trains master noise hurdle: progress in noise protection in the Middle Rhine Valley!

The citizens' initiative "We against rail noise in the VG Weißenthurm e.V." recently expressed her concerns about the future of the Lower Middle Rhine Valley in an information event. The traffic forecast of the Federal Ministry of Transport, which predicts an increase in rail freight transport by 35% by 2030, is particularly worrying. The initiative is calling for more protective measures, especially since the federal and trains reject the “existing protection” for railway lines in the Middle Rhine Valley. This means that the residents have no legal entitlement to noise protection and are dependent on voluntary measures, which makes the situation even more difficult.

Aktuell already runs a large number of trains in the area: about 200 train passages per side daily. With the planned repairs and the digitization of the rail network from 2024, a company is expected every three to five minutes from 2028. These developments represent a significant burden for residents. The new program for the "general renovation" of over 4,000 route kilometers is a major challenge and will probably also lead to full closures, as on Blick-aktuell.de reports.

meaning of noise protection

noise from rail traffic is an important source of noise in Germany that affects over a third of the population. According to the Federal Environment Agency, rail traffic noise is particularly high along European freight transport corridors, as in the Middle Rhine Valley. Here the population is badly affected, with around 3.6 million people who are exposed to noise every day. At night there are even 2.7 million that suffer over 50 dB (a). The noise pollution is systematically recorded on the routes, where over 30,000 trains per year run per year in order to develop and implement measures to reduce noise.

The citizens' initiative makes it clear that it is urgently needed to introduce more noise protection measures. The construction of noise protection walls in Weißenthurm was initiated over 12 years ago, but some locations, such as Neustrasse and Dammstrasse 2014, were not considered necessary. Talks between the mayor of the community and the citizens' initiative are planned to improve the situation. In addition, the previous applications for DB Netz AG to implement noise protection measures are unsuccessful.

innovative approaches to noise reduction

In terms of noise reduction, DB Cargo has developed innovative freight cars together with VTG AG to reduce noise problems. This project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport around 18 million euros and includes energy -efficient, intelligent cars. The new bike sets with absorber rings show promising results in terms of noise reduction, even if this measure is not yet ready for regular operation. According to the information from sustahernigkeit.deutschebahn.com , DB Cargo has significantly reduced the rail traffic noise since 2000 by comprehensive conversion actions.

The prospect of future noise reduction could be further supported by the desired building renovations and the implementation of new, quieter technologies in the field of rail freight transport. The citizens' initiative appeals to the solidarity of the counties and municipalities to fight together for more protection against rail noise.