BRAKING QUESTIONS - Synthesis paper on the EuropeTrain operation with LL brake blocks - Final Report

Management Summary

EuropeTrain and the Homologation of a Low Noise Brake System with LL Brake Blocks

UIC Presentation, 28 May 2013 - Johannes Gräber, DB Systemtechnik, UIC Project Manager EuropeTrain

The sixteenth and last run of EuropeTrain is completed successfully after approximately 10.000 km in Austria and Hungary. With that, the operation of EuropeTrain is completed successfully with an overall mileage of more than 200.000 km

After the train has left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden on Saturday, 01.09.2012 10 o’clock it ran down to Salzburg via Hanover, Würzburg and Munich. The train was handed over to Rail Cargo Austria the same evening and arrived in Salzburg around 10 p.m.. Due to damages on some wagons (not linked to LL blocks) that needed urgent repair, the train could only start on Monday evening for a first cycle via Linz and St. Pölten to Vienna, via the Semmering slope to Klagenfurth and Villach and via the Tauern slope back to Salzburg. Thanks to the great effort of the Austrian colleagues the wagons could be repaired very quickly and could be re-integrated into the train the next day for another 2 cycles in Austria. On 07.09.12 the train was transferred to Hungary via Hegyeshalom for a 5.000 km trip in Hungary, handled by MAV. Under the permanent supervision of Dr. Czippán, the train shuttled very steadily between Györ, Budapest and Szeged. On 12.09.12 10 p.m. the train was handed back to RCA in Hegyeshalom after successful 5.000 km of operation on the Hungarian network. Thanks to a very flexible planning of RCA and ÖBB, the train managed another cycle in Austria before it was prepared for the hand-over to DB Schenker Rail in Passau in the evening of 14.09.12. Yesterday afternoon (20.09.12) the train started for its direct travel back to Minden, where it arrived at the test centre before mid night.

With this successful finish of the operation of EuropeTrain a very important step towards the final Homologation of LL blocks is done. Directly after the return, the last measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start as usual today. Based on the results of all 16 runs the EuropeTrain’s international expert team will work out a report and will make decision proposals regarding the conditions for the final Homologation of LL blocks. This work is planned to be finalised by end of the year.

I would like to use the successful finish of the last run of EuropeTrain to thank all, that have been supporting the operation of the train, namely (in the order of the EuropeTrain runs)

for Denmark Mr. Alex Skovly Nielsen and Mr. Claus Jensen
for Sweden Mr. Sven Eriksson
for Netherlands Mr. Frank Sesterheim
for Belgium Mr. Goethals Lieven
for France Mr. Michel Rocher
for Poland Mr. Adam Osiak
for Switzerland Mr. Hans Hauri
for Italy Mr. Pierluigi Corsetti, Mr. Domenico Zigrino, Mr. Frederico Stafforte and Mr. Fabrizio Nannetti
for Austria Mr. Alfred Öttinger and Mr. Alfred Pitnik
for Slovakia Mr. Peter Červenka and Mr. Friedrich Zdeněk
for Luxembourg Mr. Marcel Theis
for Hungary Mr. László Czippán

and last but definitely not least Mr. Martin Knörr from DB Schenker Rail, who did an absolutely great job in coordinating all the 16 runs and without whom the EuropeTrain operation never could have happened.

Thank you very much to you and all your colleagues behind you!

The sixteenth and final run of EuropeTrain started Saturday morning 10:00 for the second Austrian Transalpine Loop in combination with a Summer Loop in Hungary.

After four weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik, including several noise measurement runs on 24.08.12, the train started again on 01.09.2012, 10:00 from Minden to Salzburg via Hanover, Würzburg and Munich. The train was handed over to Rail Cargo Austria yesterday evening and arrived in Salzburg around 10 p.m., from where the train will cycle 5 times for approximately 5.000 km in Austria, covering among others the slopes of Tauern and Semmering. Next weekend the train will be transferred to Hungary via Hegyeshalom for another 5.000 km trip, handled by RCH and MAV. The return back to Minden again via Austria is planned for mid of September.

After the train has left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden on 06.07.2012 16:30 o’clock it passed through the Rhine valley down to Basel. Thanks to the great effort of our colleagues in Switzerland and Mr. Knörr from DB Schenker Rail the passage through Switzerland could perfectly be assured on 07.07.12 despite the recent difficulties on the St. Gotthard route. The hand-over to FS Cargo took place as planned the same day at 6 p.m. in Chiasso and the train finally reached Milano punctually at 8 p.m..

In Italy the train shuttled 7 times from Milano, its temporary home base, down to Bari to operate the brakes under extreme hot weather conditions with nice summer temperatures up to 40°C. Despite a missing of the 3. cycle due to an accident blocking the route, the 7th shuttle could be additionally achieved at the end of the stay in Italy thanks to the great effort of the Italian colleagues, After this last return from Bari the tour back to Minden started on Saturday 10 o’clock. The train passed through Switzerland in the afternoon and the evening. Early this morning (05.08.12) it started for its direct travel to Minden, where it arrived at the test centre at 18:30.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start as usual on Monday. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will again discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. Still the 16th and last run of EuropeTrain is not finally assured, but will probably be a run to Austria and Hungary, starting end of August.

The fifteenth run of EuropeTrain started Friday afternoon 16:30 for the second and last loop in Italy with a passage through Switzerland.

After the passage from Minden via the Rhine valley to Basel, the train passed Switzerland on the 07.07.12. Thanks to the great effort of our colleagues in Switzerland and Mr. Knörr from DB Schenker Rail the operation in Switzerland could be assured despite the recent difficulties on the St. Gotthard route. The hand-over to FS Cargo took place as planned 07.07.12, at 6 p.m. in Chiasso and the train reached Milano punctually at 8 p.m.. In Italy it is planned now to shuttle the train 7 times from Milano, its temporary home base down to Bari to operate the brakes under extreme hot weather conditions. The return again via Switzerland and Rhine valley is planned for beginning of August.

On Thursday morning (14.06.12) the EuropeTrain returned to Minden after 2 weeks and ca. 12.000 km of successful operation in France.

After the train has left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden on 28.05.2012 22:00 o’clock it passed to Bad Bentheim, travelled through the Netherlands and Belgium and finally crossed the French border at Quevy on 29.05.12 20:30 o’clock on its way to Paris, Le Bourget. During the French Loop EuropeTrain cycled several times from its temporary home base Paris Le Bourget to Lyon (7x), to Metz (1x) and to Marseille (1x). The return this time led via Metz and Thionville to Luxembourg for a local press event on 12.06.12, which was very successful.

On Wednesday, 13.06.12 the train returned again via Belgium and the Netherlands to Minden.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks started as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will again discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run, which will be the second and last Italian Loop, starting July, 7 th.

After traveling through Germany, Belgium and France, the EuropeTrain paid a short visit to Luxembourg from June 11 to June 13.

On June 12, the national railway company CFL organised a press event to present the EuropeTrain project. The event included a live demonstration with noise level measurements to illustrate the difference in noise emissions between traditional brake blocks and LL brake blocks, the so-called “whisper brakes”.

Claude Wiseler, Luxembourg Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Marco Schank, Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, and Alex Kremer, CEO of CFL, presented the various investments and ongoing projects to reduce the level of noise generated by passenger and freight trains in Luxembourg.

On Wednesday, June 13, the train returned via Belgium and the Netherlands to Minden in Germany for the standard wheel and LL brake block measurements that are taken after each EuropeTrain run.

The fourteenth run of EuropeTrain started yesterday evening, 28.05.12 22:00 for the fourth and last run of the French Loop with a passage through the Netherlands and Belgium and a short trip to Luxembourg.

After the passage from Minden to Bad Bentheim, the train currently passes the Netherlands at Utrecht and will enter Belgium today. After that, the train will cross the French border at Quevy tonight (29.05.12 20:00) on its way to Le Bourget. During the French Loop it is planned to cycle the train several times from its temporary home base Paris Le Bourget to Lyon (9x), to Metz (1x) and to Marseille (1x). The return, this time via Thionville to Luxembourg for a local press event on 12.06.12 will then lead the train again via Belgium and the Netherlands to Minden. The return is planned for mid of June.

Railways are a sustainable and climate-friendly means of transport. Nonetheless, their presence is felt by many people living nearby a railway line as a burden. The reason: railway noise. The railway lines often pass through densely populated areas and freight trains are mostly operated at night. The railways have a long history of noise control. Numerous projects have developed and analysed different abatement possibilities. The noise control measures most often implemented are noise barriers or insulated windows.

The largest potential, however, lies in noise reduction at the source (wheel-rail-contact). One of the solutions for freight trains, that in general have a low renewal rate, is the removal of the cast-iron brake blocks by retrofitting them with composite brake blocks that smoothen the wheel surface. The composite brake blocks have an approximately 10 dB noise reduction potential which means that perceived noise is decreased by half. Two principle technologies are known: K-blocks, fully homologated and have been used for years on new wagons and LL-blocks, still only homologated provisionally, but due to its 1:1 compatibility with commonly used cast-iron brake blocks it can be retrofitted to existing freight wagon fleets at significantly reduced cost as technical modifications to the freight wagons will not be needed. These composite brake blocks, also called “whisper brakes” exist, but a number of points are still unresolved in the homologation process, and cannot currently be used directly on a large scale in Europe.

LL-blocks are currently tested by EuropeTrain. The EuropeTrain project is a project coordinated by UIC and Deutsche Bahn and is supported by 29 railway companies, 7 partners from the industry sector, the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) and the European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM).

EuropeTrain is a special test train with about 30 representative freight wagons, which has been travelling across Europe since December 2010 to speed up the solution process of the points yet to be finalised in homologation and to further improve the LL brake block. All operational, topographical and climatic conditions relevant for Europe are covered in a balanced way, e.g. running on different gradients with different operational modes, arctic winter areas and high temperature zones.

Today, EuropeTrain has completed 13 runs totalling 163,000 of the planned 200,000 kilometres. The remaining 37,000 kilometres will be completed in three runs by September 2012.

The experts are optimistic after the very positive experiences with EuropeTrain so far, and expect the LL-block system to perform successfully, both technically and economically. Assuming positive results UIC will carry on at full speed with the final approval steps.

EuropeTrain makes a special stop in the Rhine Valley in Germany.

On 4 May EuropeTrain made a special stop in the Rhine Valley at the end of the third and last run in Germany. In recent years, almost 300 million Euros of the voluntary governmental noise abatement programme have been implemented by Deutsche Bahn for noise abatement measures along the Rhine. The installation of noise barriers and insulated windows for example has perceptibly relieved the residents. Deutsche Bahn has made it its mission to reduce noise even further by using the innovative noise-reducing technologies in vehicles and on the track ahead and thus combat the noise at the source. Within the project "Quiet Rhine", the German federal government is also supporting among others the retrofitting of 1,250 DB Schenker Rail freight wagons with composite brake blocks. For many years all new procured freight wagons have been equipped with quiet brake blocks. About 7,000 silent freight wagons are already in operation.

On Saturday (5 May) early morning EuropeTrain returned to Minden after 3 weeks and ca. 15.000 km of successful operation in Germany.

After the train has left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden on 14 April EuropeTrain shuttled 7 times between Minden and Rostock and 11 times between Minden and Ludwigslust (due to construction works). A last cycle finally led the train through the Rhine valley for a very successful press event with local press in Mainz on 4 May.

After the return to Minden, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start with subsequent activities as usual.

The train operation will start again end of May for the fourteenth run, which will be the fourth and last French Loop, this time with a short side trip for a press event in Luxembourg.

The “Europe Train” has completed its twelfth run that took place in Germany, Denmark and Sweden in March.

Following intensive activities at the DB Systemtechnik test centre, the train set off again on 14 April 2012 from Minden on its first run to Rostock. During this run, the train will shuttle 7 times between Minden and Rostock and 10 times between Minden and Ludwigslust (due to construction work).

The return is planned for the end of April 2012. After that, a press event is planned in Mainz for 4 May 2012 with at least part of the wagons being transferred to Mainz through the Rhine valley on 3 May 2012.

On 17 March the EuropeTrain returned to Minden after two weeks and ca. 13,500 km of successful operation in Germany, Denmark and Sweden combined without any trouble or incidents.

After the train left the DB Systemtechnik test centre in Minden on 2 March, it passed very quickly through Denmark and crossed the border into Sweden the same night.

The following morning on 3 March the train started its operation in Sweden, completing its first trip from Malmö up north to Kiruna. After that it shuttled three times between Boden and Gävle before travelling to Borlänge for a weekend stay at the workshop for inspection.

After returning to Kiruna on the morning of 12 March, the train then headed for Vassijaure on the Norwegian border. As the train left Krokvik (near Kiruna) there was bright sunshine, as and it went further north, the weather got worse and worse until a thunder snowstorm broke out just before it reached Vassijaure, causing high banks of snow. This created ideal test conditions for the train. During this run, some test brake actions were performed under various circumstances and the brake performance was always considerably higher than calculated, although the train was mainly braked with LL blocks (most of the GG braked wagons had to be switched off due to high block wear).

The next day, the train continued its operation in Sweden with a return back to the south of the country and a circle trip in southern Sweden travelling via Hallsberg, Karlstad, Göteborg, Jönköping, Nässjö, Hallsberg, Karlstad, Göteborg and finally back to Malmö.

On 16 March the EuropeTrain left Sweden after nearly 12,000 km of successful operation in the country.

The measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start on Monday as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results again, define further activities and in particular decide which wagons will participate in the next run.

Train operation will begin again on 16 April 2012 for the thirteenth run, which will once more take the shape of a German Loop.

Pictures of the 12th run : http://europetrain.uic.org/Events-V...

The twelfth run of EuropeTrain started for the second run to the Scandinavian winter, with a passage through Denmark and possibly a short trip to Norway.

Thanks to the great effort and additional contributions of Trafikverket, GREEN CARGO, VR, JBV, Banedenmark and UIC, the second run to Scandinavia, finally became reality. After intensive activities in the test centre of DB, Systemtechnik the train started again on Friday 2 March 2012 from Minden, travelling through Denmark on its way to the North.

After crossing the border to Sweden, the train started its operation in Sweden on 3 March from Malmö up north to Vassijaure at the Norwegian border via Boden and Kiruna.

After that it will shuttle several times between Vassijaure and Gävle in the same way it was done during the first run (maybe with one short side trip to Narvik) before it will return to Germany the weekend of 17-18 March.

On Monday night, 6 February 2012, EuropeTrain returned to Minden after 2,5 weeks and ca. 14.000 km of successful operation in Switzerland and Germany without any trouble or incidents.

After the train has left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden for Basel via the Rhine Valley in the evening of the 20 January, it was transferred further to Rotkreuz (50 km north of Erstfeld) and further down to Chiasso on Sunday morning.

During the Transalpine Loop in Switzerland, the EuropeTrain shuttled seven times (one cycle a day) from Rotkreuz to Chiasso, back to Erstfeld and finally to Chiasso and back to Rotkreuz - always crossing the slopes of St. Gotthard. Again SBB Cargo organised some special braking tests on steep gradients. On Sunday evening 29 January 2012 the train returned to Minden for some mileage on a winter flat Loop in Germany. From Minden the EuropeTrain shuttled 7 times to Rostock and back. The final return to Minden was then on Monday.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start on Monday as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will again discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. In parallel the second edition of the interim report is under final discussion among the experts of the project team and will be issued by March 2012.

The train operation will start again on 2 March 2012 for the twelfth run with a second run to the Scandinavian winter. The return is planned for end of March 2012.

The “Europe Train” test train, which has been travelling across Europe since December 2010 to test low-noise brakes – equipped with composite “LL” brake blocks” – before it goes into series production to retrofit the existing European freight wagon fleet, has started its eleventh run through Switzerland and Germany. The previous run took place in Belgium and in the Netherlands last December.

Following intensive activities at DB Systemtechnik’s test centre and several weeks’ winter break, the train started out again on 20 January 2012 from Minden, travelling through the Rhine Valley on its trip to Basel. After crossing the border to Switzerland the train will shuttle several times between Erstfeld and Chiasso via the slopes of St. Gotthard before returning to Germany on 29 January. In Germany, the train will shuttle between Minden and Rostock. The return is planned for mid February 2012.

On 16 December 2011 the EuropeTrain returned to Minden after three weeks and approximately 13,500 km of successful operation in France without any trouble or incidents. Thank you very much to the operations team in Lyon for this efficient job. After the train left the DB Systemtechnik test centre in Minden for Antwerp via Bad Bentheim on 26 November, it was transferred to Paris on 28 November.

During the French Loop, which started early on 29 November, the EuropeTrain made several journeys from its temporary base in Paris Le Bourget to Lyon, Metz and Marseille. On its way back to Minden the train crossed Belgium and the Netherlands and passed the German border in Bad Bentheim today at 9 am.

Directly after the train’s return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks will be taken as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results again, define further activities and in particular decide which wagons will participate in the next run. In parallel a second edition of the interim report is under discussion among the experts of the project team and will be issued by the beginning of next year.

EuropeTrain operations will start again on 21 January 2012 with a mixed run through Germany and Switzerland. The return is planned for mid February 2012.

After nearly three weeks of intense activity at the DB Systemtechnik test centre, EuropeTrain started again on Saturday 26 November 2011 at 09:45 from Minden to Bad Bentheim, crossed the Netherlands and reached Antwerp in the evening. From here the train was transferred to Paris Le Bourget on Sunday 27 November. During the French Loop several cycles are planned from the train’s temporary base in Paris Le Bourget to Lyon (9x), to Metz (2x) and to Marseille (1x). The return trip via Belgium and the Netherlands is planned for mid December.

On 6 November the EuropeTrain returned to Minden after 3 weeks and 15,000 km of successful operation in Poland and Slovakia.

On 15 October 2011 the train left DB Systemtechnik test centre in Minden for Frankfurt-an-der-Oder via Berlin, entering Poland the next day. The EuropeTrain started with a two-day operation in Slovakia, covering 800 km of Slovakian network. Following its return to Poland the train travelled 13 times from its temporary base in Poznan via Warsaw, Lukow and Lotz, and back to Poznan. On 5 November 2011 the train crossed the Polish-German border in Frankfurt-an-der-Oder on its way back to Minden.

Directly after its return, the measurements of the wheels and brake blocks were taken as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results again, define further activities, and in particular decide which wagons will participate in the next run. This will be the third run of the French Loop, starting on 25 November 2011. The return is planned for mid December.

After nearly 3 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik, the EuropeTrain test train -with an international composition of freight wagons of various types- started again on 15 October with a short delay from Minden via Berlin to Frankfurt an der Oder and entered Poland on 16 October.

This international test train managed by Deutsche Bahn on behalf of UIC with Johannes Gräber as the Project Manager, has as the main objective to test in operational conditions the "LL" composite brake blocks which aim to significantly reduce noise emissions by freight trains.

After passing the German/Polish border in Frankfurt-an-der-Oder a short trip to Slovakia was planned for the 17/18 October. After returning from Slovakia, are planned up to 12 cycles in Poland via Poznan - Warszawa - Lukow - Lotz - Poznan. Due to the delay, the planning has to be re-scheduled. The return via Frankfurt an der Oder is planned for the 1st November 2011 and the train will be back in Minden, Germany, on 2nd November.

The "EuropeTrain" international test campaign, coordinated and managed by DB Systemtechnik on behalf of UIC -with Johannes Gräber as UIC Project Manager- is continuing according to schedule.

On 6 September the train left the test centre of DB Systemtechnik in Minden for Passau via Hanover, Frankfurt and Würzburg. The next morning the train was handed over to Rail Cargo Austria for a passage to Deutsch-Wagram, where on 9th a very successful press event with ÖBB/RCA and UIC took place (http://europetrain.uic.org/Pictures)

After the event, the "EuropeTrain" departed for its temporary home base Salzburg. From here a first short trip was performed to Bludenz, running over the slopes of Arlberg on 12 September.

The train then ran 8 times from Salzburg via the Tauern slope to Villach and further via Klagenfurth and the Semmering slope to Vienna and then via St. Pölten and Linz back to Salzburg. During the whole stay in Austria the train often passed way-side check points measuring various behaviours of the train such as weight, running behaviour or noise. These results will give additional input to the work of the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT). The EuropeTrain returned back to Minden after nearly 3 weeks and 10.000 km of successful operation in Austria.

After the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks started as usual. Before the next run, the "EuropeTrain"’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be the second run of the Eastern Loop, this time running in Poland with a short trip to Slovakia, starting on 14 October. The return is planned for the beginning of November.

On 9 September the “Europe Train” international test train made a stop in Deutsch-Wagram close to Vienna, before starting a series of new tests and measurements under the specific conditions of the Austrian network. A presentation of the “Europe Train” took place in Deutsch-Wagram, attended by Franz Seiser, Board Member of ÖBB Holding AG, Andreas Fuchs, Board Member of Rail Cargo Austria AG and Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director-General of UIC. CER was represented by Libor Lochmann, appointed new Executive Director.

Since December last year the “Europe Train” test train composed of 32 freight wagons and equipped with “LL” low-noise blocks has achieved a series of test runs under various geographical and climatic conditions through Europe with the objective of checking whether this brake equipment can be homologated for industrial production. These “LL” brake blocks can potentially halve rail noise produced by conventional freight trains, in comparison to cast iron brake blocks.

Austria’s topographic conditions are of great importance to the international “Europe Train” test campaign monitored by UIC – and managed on behalf of UIC by Johannes Gräber from DB Systemtechnik. The train will run 10,000 km in Austria and measurements will be taken at several test points. The test train composed of freight wagons from five railways, of different categories and with various loads, will have completed over 200,000 km by the beginning of 2012. The tests and measurements are followed and evaluated by engineers and technicians from DB Systemtechnik on behalf of the international railway community.

According to Franz Seiser, Board Member of ÖBB-Holding AG, “This is a topic of European – not national – concern. Freight trains do not stop at the border ; they run all across Europe. We can only effectively reduce noise levels if all railways and private wagon owners collaborate and if there are harmonised rules at European level. Almost half of all wagons circulating in Europe today belong to private companies.”

The low-noise brakes currently being tested must be approved by the European railways, working together under the auspices of UIC. “Rail Cargo Austria is an important partner in this joint project. We want to reduce railway noise at source. Standalone action by RCA would not be justified economically and would not be acceptable to local residents, who would continue to be subjected to the noise of wagons belonging to other companies”, underlined Andreas Fuchs, Board Member of Rail Cargo Austria AG.

For Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, UIC Director-General, “UIC together with its members is committed more than ever to making rail transport the most efficient, safe and sustainable mode of transport, attractive for customers and well accepted by citizens who are increasingly sensitive to environmental issues”. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux added “UIC as the international technical cooperation platform for railways manages a number of complex projects on behalf of the European and world railway community aiming to make the railways draw full benefit from their advantages in terms of sustainability. More generally UIC’s technical work and expertise support the action of political railway associations towards the European institutions, the Commission and ERA.

Links:

Pictures http://europetrain.uic.org/Pictures

Train Path http://europetrain.uic.org/map/inde...

After 2 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik, the train started again on 6 September, 19:30 from Minden to Passau via Hanover, Frankfurt and Würzburg. On 7 September the train was handed over to Rail Cargo Austria and meanwhile arrived in Deutsch-Wagram, where on Friday a press event with ÖBB/RCA and UIC will take place.

After the event, the EuropeTrain will depart for a 2 weeks and 10.000 km trip through Austria, covering among others the slopes of Arlberg, Tauern and Semmering. After a passage from Vienna to Salzburg, a short trip to Bludenz via the Arlberg slopes is planned. After that, the train will cycle 9 times from Salzburg via Tauern to Villach and further via Semmering, Vienna and St. Pölten back to Salzburg. The return back to Minden is planned for 23 September.

After the train has passed the Netherlands (with a very successful press event in Amersfoort on 1 August) and Belgium, it entered France on the same dayin the evening. From its temporary home base Paris, Le Bourget, the EuropeTrain shuttled 10 times to Lyon, once to Marseille and 3 times to Metz, achieving in total 15.000 km on the French network. On 23 August, 4:15 the train returned to Minden again via Belgium and the Netherlands after 24 days of successful operation.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks started as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will again discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be the second run of the Transalpine Loop in Austria and will start on the 06/07 September via Vienna, where a press event is planned in Deutsch-Wagram on the 09 September. The return is planned for the end of September.

In parallel, again special tests with five wagons on special tracks near Minden have been performed according to UIC 518 (running behaviour).The results have to be analysed by the IAT in addition to the results of the stationary measurements and been taken into account for the subsequent runs of these wagons.

After 2 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik, the train started again on 30 July, 12:35 from Minden to Bad Bentheim. During the passage through the Netherlands the train stopped for a press event with KNV (a Dutch rail freight support association) and DB Schenker NL on 1 August in Amersfoort.

This "geluidsarme trein" (noiseless train) event was a tremendous success. The reactions received so far were very positive, even from the opposition group which was also present! It confirmed the rail freight sector’s professionalism in contributing towards making a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and a safer mode of transport. A large number of newspapers covered the event and there were five interviews broadcast on radio and on TV. We are confident that this Dutch event will help with a better understanding throughout Europe that we are on the right track. After the event, the EuropeTrain departed at exactly 14.00 hours as planned from Amersfoort. After the passage through Belgium, the handover to Fret SNCF took place on Monday night.

During the French Loop the train will cycle several times from Paris (Le Bourget) to Marseille, to Lyon and to Metz. As agreed, the train will run approximately 15.000 km to compensate for the lost mileage of the first French Loop. The return again via Belgium and the Netherlands is planned for the second half of August..

After the train has passed the Rhine valley and Switzerland via the St. Gotthard it entered Italy on 17 June in the evening. Between 18 June and 15 July the train shuttled 4 times between Milano and Modane (transalpine line) and three times from Milano to Bari in the South of Italy under very hot and dry weather conditions.

The train was able to be operated only in weekends, so about 9,300 km could be achieved.

On 17 July , 18:30 the train returned to Minden again via Switzerland and the Rhine valley after 29 days.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks started as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be the second run on the French Loop und will start on the 29.07.11 via Gent down to Paris and further to Marseille. On its way passing the Netherlands there will be a press event in Amersfoort on 1 august.

The return is planned for the second half of August.

After 2 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik, the train started on 17.06.2011 01:51 from Minden for the first Italian Loop with a mixture of operations on the Moncenisio (Modane) transalpine line and a shuttle down to Bari to operate the brakes under extreme hot weather conditions. On its way to Italy, the train ran down the Rhine valley, passed through Switzerland via St. Gotthard (many thanks to SBB Cargo for the good performance) and reached the border to Italy in Chiasso at 17.06.2011 22:30. From here the train ran down to Milano on Saturday, from where it will shuttle to the Moncenisio (Modane) transalpine line (already done once on Sunday!) and down to Bari.

The return again via Switzerland and Rhine valley is planned for mid of July.

After EuropeTrain has entered Switzerland on 16 May, it shuttled 23 times between Basel to Brig via the slopes of Lötschberg and twice from Basel to Bellinzona via the interesting slopes of St. Gotthard, where SBB Cargo organized some special braking tests. On 1 June, the train returned to Minden again via the Rhine valley after 18 days and approx 12.000 km of intensive operation on the Swiss Alps transits without any problem.

Directly after the return, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks started as usual. Before the next run, the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be an Italian Loop with a mixture of operations on the Modane transalpine line and a shuttle down to the southern part of Italy to operate the brakes under extreme hot weather conditions. This run will start on 17 June via the Rhine valley down to Basel and further via St. Gotthard to Italy.

On 14.05.11 the train started from Minden for the first Transapline Loop to Switzerland, after 2 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik. Again, during these days, measurements of wheels and brake blocks have been performed, results have been analysed and evaluated by EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT). In addition, loading has been changed and the data logger systems for the continuous measurements have been installed on 9 waggons according to the advice of the experts.

On its way to Switzerland, the train ran down the Rhine valley and passed the border in Basel today at ten o’clock. From here the train will shuttle to Brig or to Chiasso and back, passing the interesting slopes of Lötschberg and St. Gotthard. The return again via the Rhine valley is planned for end of May.

After the short stopover in Berlin for a press event on 08.04.11, the train started its trip to Poland on the 10.04.11. Due to some operational restrictions the train shuttled 15 times only from Poznan to Warszawa and back (instead of Poznan <-> Radom). On 29.04.11, 8:20 the train returned to Minden via Frankfurt (Oder) and Berlin, after 12 days and approx. 10.100 km of intensive operation without any problem.

On Monday, the measurements of wheels and brake blocks will start as usual. After having analysed these measurements, the project team will work on an intermediate report, that will be issued by end of June (but please do not yet expect considerable results after 40.000 km!).

Before the next run the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be a Transalpine Loop, concentrating on Switzerland and starting on the 14.05.11 via the Rhine valley down to Basel.

(Berlin, April 8, 2011) Deutsche Bahn is speeding up the Europe-wide introduction of whisper brakes: the “Europe Train”, which has been traveling throughout Europe since December, arrived today in Berlin after putting a new type of whisper brake – the LL block – through its paces before it goes into series production. Made up of various types of freight car, carrying all kinds of cargo and commissioned by several European rail operators, the test train, which is being monitored by engineers and technicians, will have covered a total of 200,000 kilometers before the test program comes to an end at the beginning of 2012. It has been through the icy cold of a Scandinavian winter, and now the hot summer temperatures of Italy lie ahead. At the same time, the effects of different topographic conditions are also being tested.

The LL brake block has the potential to halve rail noise produced by conventional freight trains. Unlike the K block, which also reduces noise levels by half, the LL brake block can be retrofitted to an existing fleet at significantly reduced cost. “Noise reduction in rail freight is at the top of our agenda,” says Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Member of the Management Board of DB ML AG responsible for Transportation and Logistics. “We are counting on continuous growth in rail freight transportation. Acceptance on the very busy corridors requires that we also provide active noise control at the source.” Professor Klaus-Dieter Scheurle, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, emphasized at the presentation of the Europe Train: “Noise is one of the biggest problems for the acceptance of traffic. The quantities of goods transported on rail are increasing, but in many places people living along the lines are at the limit of what they can take – or have gone beyond the limit. We take the people’s concerns seriously and are investing in more noise control on both the tracks and the freight cars. We are funding the “Quiet Freight Traffic” pilot project, for example, by equipping freight cars with noise-reducing brake systems at a cost of 20 million euros. That is one step on the way to achieving our goal of reducing noise by 50 percent on severely affected routes by 2020.”

At the initiative of DB and under the overall responsibility of the “Union internationale des chemins de fer” (UIC), around 30 European rail operators and several partners from industry are involved in this test program. DB Systemtechnik in Minden is responsible for the technical implementation. The entire European planning, test runs and monitoring of the Europe Train is coordinated by DB Schenker Rail in Mainz.

The freight carrier DB Schenker Rail is already equipping new freight cars with the quiet K block. Retrofitting existing cars with the K block, however, due to the extensive modifications required to the brake system, is very time-consuming and therefore expensive. This would jeopardize the competitiveness of rail freight. In the less expensive LL block, which requires no modification, the UIC by contrast sees a way of solving the problem for the existing European fleet, which includes around 600,000 freight cars. “The UIC, together with its members, is fully committed to making rail transport the most efficient, safe and sustainable transport mode, and to serving customers and society. The UIC manages complex technical projects in the field of sustainability on behalf of the international rail community, thus supporting the work of political railway associations with regard to European institutions and the ERA,” said Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director General of the UIC.

Both the LL block currently being tested and the K block that has been approved since 2003 differ from conventional cast iron brake blocks in that the running surfaces of the wheels do not become rough, and thus rolling noise is reduced by approximately ten decibels, which is perceived by the human ear as a halving of the noise level.

Vera Moosmayer
Spokesperson BMVBS
Tel. +49 (0) 30 18 300 2040
Fax +49 (0) 30 18 300 2059
presse bmvbs.bund.de
www.bmvbs.de

Bernd Weiler
Spokesperson Transportation and Logistics/International
Tel. +49 (0) 30 29754020
Fax +49 (0) 30 29754029
presse dbschenker.com
www.dbschenker.com

On 7 April at 08:25 the train departed from Minden for the Eastern Loop to Poland, after 3 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik. Again, during these weeks, measurements of wheels and brake blocks have been performed, results have been analysed and evaluated by EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT), loading has been changed according to the advice of the experts and additional equipments for the continuous measurements have been installed on now in sum 9 wagons. In parallel, special tests with four wagons on special tracks near Minden have been performed according to UIC 518 (running behaviour).

On its way to Poland, the train made a short stop in Berlin for a press event on 8 April. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director General of UIC, Prof. Klaus-Dieter Scheurle, State Secretary for the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS) in Germany and Dr. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, Head of Transport and Logistics at DB Mobility Logistics AG presented the EuropeTrain to the media in Berlin Grunewald.

On Saturday tv-shots of the train have been made near Sedin before it started its trip to Poland at seven o’clock on Sunday. After passing the border in Frankfurt (Oder) at 9:30 the train reached Poznan at 17:30. From here the train will shuttle several times to Radom via Warszawa and back. The return, again via Frankfurt (Oder) and Berlin, is planned for the end of April.

The third run of EuropeTrain is completed.

After some operational difficulties at the beginning we had to halve the number of cycles in France down to two. The missing mileage in France will be recovered during the next run of the French Loop. But after that,the train cycled without any further problems twice from Paris via Bordeaux, Narbonne and Lyon back to Paris. On 17.03.11, 02:11 the train returned to Minden via Belgium and the Netherlands (with some delay due to heavy construction works), after 2 1/2 weeks and approx. 5.500 km of operation.

Currently the measurements of wheels and brake blocks are going on. In parallel, first running behaviour tests according to UIC 518 will be performed with a limited number of wagons. On the 24.03.11 the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results, define further activities and especially decide on the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be an Eastern Loop, concentrating on Poland and starting on the 06.04.11 via Berlin, where a press event is planned for the 08.04.11 (please reserve the date!).

On 25 February at 16:14 EuropeTrain departed from Minden for the French Loop, after 2 weeks of intensive activities in the test center of DB Systemtechnik.

During these weeks, measurements of wheels and brake blocks have been performed, results have been analysed and evaluated by EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT), loading has been changed according to the advice of the experts and additional equipments for the continuous measurements have been installed on more wagons. Some wagons will stay in Minden for parallel tests according to UIC 518 (running behaviour), which will take place mid of March on special tracks near Minden.

The train passed through Netherlands and Belgium on 26 and 27 February and entered France via Mouscron (B) on 28 February.

The train will run down to Paris and will then cycle 4 times via Orleans, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Lyon back to Paris. The return again through Belgium and the Netherlands is planned for calender week 12.

On 11 February, Europe Train returned to Minden after 2 weeks and approximately 13 000 km of operation without any trouble or irregularities on the German Loop. On its way, the train travelled 10 times via Cologne and the Rhine valley down to Freiburg and back to Minden via Frankfurt, Giessen, Kassel and Hannover.

Measurements of the wheels and brake blocks are currently being taken. At the beginning of next week the EuropeTrain’s International Analysis Team (IAT) will discuss the results and define further activities, especially regarding the wagons that will participate in the next run. This will be a French Loop, probably starting on 25 February via the Netherlands and Belgium.

On 27 January at 9.30 EuropeTrain left Minden for the second run on the German loop. The train will run approximately 10 times from Minden Via Cologne and the Rhine Valley down to Freiburg. Due to heavy traffic load on the Rhine Valley line, the return path will lead back via Frankfurt, Gieβe, Kassel and Hannover to Minden.

Just on time at 8:25 o’clock, the EuropeTrain left Minden the morning of December, 6th towards Maschen (near Hamburg) and further to Padborg (Danish border), where it arrived in the evening. From there, the train will set off for the first run of the Scandinavian-Loop. So a first, very important step is done for a successful project.