Innovative freight cars 0 Environment and 100% green electricity To the Strong Rail strategy
As part of the “innovative freight cars” research project initiated by BMVI, DB Cargo and Europe’s largest rail car fleet owner VTG tested technologies for a quieter, more energy-efficient, smart freight car. The BMVI provided funds in the amount of € 21.5 million. The project was successfully completed in April 2019. A total of 12 prototypes were produced by the end of 2018 and tested under real operating conditions, covering about 150,000 km throughout Europe. Various innovative components were combined and installed. For instance, the effects of noise skirts, innovative brake systems and wheel dampers were tested on selected freight car types.
The results from testing and practical trials show that innovative freight cars no. 54 use between 2 % and 3 % less energy. In addition, they are more cost-efficient to run as they offer opportunities to optimize handling and operation thanks to the aforementioned adjustments and new digital modules. There were very promising results in noise reduction, particularly where wheel-mounted noise absorbers and ring elements were concerned. These results now need to be verified and evaluated in further technical and operational tests examining their long-term acoustic performance and maintenance processes.
