In 2021, Deutsche Bahn and the German government invested a total of around 150 million euros as part of the federal government's voluntary noise abatement programme. This enabled a further 71 kilometres of a railway line to be noise-abated. DB and the federal government want to relieve around 3,250 kilometres of track from rail traffic noise by 2030.
Andreas Gehlhaar, DB Noise Abatement Officer: "We are making our trains quieter and consistently pushing ahead with noise abatement. Our common goal: By 2030, more than 800,000 people living near railway lines in Germany will live and sleep more quietly."
Michael Theurer, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport: "In order to achieve our climate protection goals in transport, we urgently need to expand and extend the rail network. A rapid expansion can only succeed with the necessary acceptance of local residents. For the federal government, noise protection along the railways is a top priority."
By 2050, a total of around 6,500 kilometres will be relieved of noise. This means that all 1.6 million affected residents will benefit from noise protection. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, DB will continue to rely on two proven pillars and reduce noise both on site and directly at the source.
Noise protection directly in localities is primarily provided by noise barriers along the line. Since 1999, around 2,100 kilometres of railway lines have been noise-reduced through the federal government's voluntary noise abatement programme. Around 1.75 billion euros have been invested in this. The money was also used to equip tens of thousands of homes with passive noise protection such as special windows.
