Two-thirds lower energy consumption and three-quarters less carbon dioxide emissions is the ecological score in favour of DB Schenker Rail compared with haulage by road of a shipment of car accessories on the route from Hamburg to Munich. And in order to improve this balance still further, we continue developing our activities in ways that reduce the environmental burden.

Modern engines - active environmental protection

DB Schenker Rail takes an important step forward by fitting out old locomotives with new advanced engines that are also advanced in terms of their low environmental impact.

This technical overhaul of components reflects our dualistic strategy that has positive environmental consequences On the one hand we gain access to a truly modern fleet without scrapping our old locomotives, and on the other hand we canfit out traction units with engines that produce low toxic emission levels.

The new engines and reduce the discharge of nitrogen monoxide by over 30% while also cutting back emissions of carbon dioxide and soot, which together are responsible for smog in the summer, damage to the ozone layer and fine dust.

Vehicles with the new engines include the 364/365 and the 290/294 shunting locomotive series and the 232 mainline locomotive series.

Noise halved by use of "whisper brakes"

Noise is an important contributor to environmental pollution in industrialised countries. That's why an active policy against noise hindrance is part of our company philosophy.

In order to reduce the effects of noise, DB Schenker Rail introduced a measure called the “whisper brake”, which involves the use of an innovative material for the brake block This makes it possible to reduce the noise of a train by as much as 10 decibel (dBA),  which to the human ear means a halving of the noise level.

DB Schenker Rail has already fitted 4100 wagons with the new composite brake blocks (K blocks), an operation that it already started in 2001. The technical reconstruction of the entire rolling stock fleet is an expensive affair, however, as it is necessary to replace the entire braking system.

It is therefore crucial to set up a financing system together with political backing for conversion to the "whisper brake". Customers in freight transport are not prepared to pay a higher price for quieter traffic so that the railway undertakings would be burdened with the costs. This would weaken the competitive position of the environment- and climate-friendly rail mode.

Environmental management system and waste removal

Following certification as a specialist in the removal of waste, DB Schenker Rail has expanded its competency in the area of waste management and waste logistics. We can comply in full with the high-quality standards expected from a certified waste specialist in terms of organisation, equipment and operational procedures

As early as May 2002, we introduced an environmental management system as part of our integrated management system, for which we received DIN EN ISO 14001 certification. In this area too, we show the degree to which we control and analyse our processes in a constant drive to optimise our activities.

EcoTransIT – a service for companies

Goods transport by rail leads to lower energy consumption and makes an important contribution to a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. Our EcoTransIT-tool  offers a method for determining the environmental statistics for your transport project.

List of tested measures whisper trains