DB Cargo and VTG get green light for modular wagon production
Die Deutsche Bahn wird die Aktivitäten zum Lärmschutz weiter verstärken und 2016 die Umrüstung ihrer Güterwagen auf leise Bremssohlen deutlich beschleunigen. Bis Ende des Jahres werden 50 Prozent der Flotte von DB Cargo mit der so genannten Flüsterbremse ausgestattet sein, die eine deutliche Reduzierung des Schienenlärms bewirkt.
DB Cargo and VTG have the green light by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to produce a new series of rail wagons. The ‘m2 wagon’ developed by the two companies has a modular structure and can therefore be used to transport various kinds of goods.
DB Cargo is currently starting the production of a test series with 50 wagons. The test batch production is funded by the German federal program “Future Rail Freight Transport”. The company indicates that it wants to focus more on this type of wagon in the future when replacing wagons or when purchasing new ones.
Multipurpose equipment
Due to the wagon’s modular construction, allowing it to “address the individual needs of the shipping industry”, as VTG says, it is possible to use it for multiple purposes. The m2 wagons consist of removable parts that can be adjusted and make them suitable for transporting various products. The loading length of the wagon can vary from 10 to more than 22 meters, while the bogies, wheelsets and brakes of the wagon can also change according to the transport needs.
A wagon that transports large logs can also transport moisture-sensitive cellulose and paper rolls, and a wagon for new steel coils is now also suitable for scrap metal, explains Deutsche Bahn. According to the carrier, it can take from a few minutes to a day to convert a wagon. ‘Our customers are currently testing the first wagons’, said Pierre Timmermans, head of sales at DB Cargo.
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