Sound insulation in the existing network: built 70 kilometers of noise barriers on railway lines

Deutsche Bahn built around 70 kilometers of noise protection walls along existing routes last year. That was almost 15 kilometers more than in the previous year, as the federal group announced. “At the end of last year, 2,324 kilometers of the distance were renovated,” it said.

Around 2,000 apartments in layers particularly affected by rail noise were also equipped with so -called passive noise protection measures, usually with noise protection windows.

By 2030, the railway and the federal government claim to have around 3,250 kilometers of existing route. If the train continues to build the train in recent years, this goal cannot be reached. Rather, from 2025, it would have to install more than 150 kilometers of soundproofing walls – more than twice as much as 2024.

To improve noise protection, the railway takes several measures. On the one hand, it upgrades inventory lines with noise protection walls. On the other hand, she supports affected residents in better protecting their houses and apartments with new windows from railway noise.

The measures cost around 176 million euros in 2024, the railway continued. The money comes from the federal budget. The federal government has been promoting noise renovation along railway lines since 1999.

Transparent walls in Hamburg

In Hamburg, residents along the newly built S-Bahn line S4 benefit from so-called transparent noise protection walls that have been installed there for the first time. According to the train, they offer the same noise protection as conventional walls, but are made of transparent plastic. Passengers can therefore look through and residents no longer have to live with gray walls on their own front door.

In the first step, the railway installed the transparent walls in trial operation over a length of 55 meters. Further acoustic measurements will take place in the coming months.