Malmö Freight Yard
Region
Malmö, Sweden
Client
Trafikverket
Year
1979
Yard type
Freight yard with hump
Classification tracks
26
Scope
676 constant speed retarders complementing two beam retarders
Status
In operation
DECEL's role
Engineering, dimensioning, manufacturing, delivery, technical support and installation assistance during integration with the existing system
Malmö freight yard is the gateway for freight trains between Sweden and Denmark, Germany and the rest of Europe. Two beam retarders handled the initial deceleration, but further out in the track system there was no even control of wagon speed. DECEL complemented the system with 676 constant speed retarders across the yard's 26 classification tracks, so that every wagon keeps the right speed all the way to its stabling position.
Background: good braking, but only at the start
The two beam retarders did their job and removed most of the speed in the initial deceleration. The problem was what happened next. Wagon weight, rolling resistance and weather make wagons behave differently, and without continued speed regulation a wagon could either reach sensitive parts of the yard too fast or stop before reaching the right track. The client wanted controlled speed throughout the shunting sequence, with fewer corrective shunting movements and safer everyday operation.
DECEL was chosen for its specialist expertise in constant speed retarders and because the solution could build on the existing facility rather than replace it.
Across the yard's 26 classification tracks
Kept and complemented rather than replaced
In service since 1979
No energy needed to brake, the wagon's own motion does the work
Building on what was already there
The hard part was the balance. DECEL's retarders had to be dimensioned and positioned to take over after the beam retarders and keep speed within the right range, whatever the weight of the wagon or the condition of the track. Too much braking force and wagons stop too early; too little and they roll too fast. Everything also had to integrate safely with infrastructure already in operation.
A system rather than a point fix
DECEL began by analysing the yard's layout and how the two beam retarders interacted with the rest of the track system. Based on that analysis, 676 constant speed retarders were dimensioned and distributed along the classification tracks, where they regulate wagon speed after the initial deceleration.
The decisive choice was to keep the beam retarders for the main braking and let DECEL's retarders handle the continued speed regulation. DECEL's constant speed retarders use the wagon's own motion to keep speed within a defined range and need no energy to brake. That makes them particularly well suited as a complement far out in an existing track system. DECEL manufactured and supplied the retarders and provided technical support and installation assistance during integration.
Even speed all the way
The installation was completed and the yard was commissioned as planned. Since 1979, Malmö freight yard has had a coherent braking system in which the two beam retarders and DECEL's retarders work together across the whole yard. Wagons roll towards the classification tracks at a more even and predictable speed, the need for corrective shunting is reduced, and train formation is both safer and more efficient at one of Sweden's most important freight hubs.
See also Helsingborg Marshalling Yard, another freight hub in southern Sweden with DECEL retarders.
“For us, sustainability is not only about new technology. It is about designing solutions that operate reliably for decades, require minimal maintenance, and help reduce wear and damage to rolling stock and rail infrastructure. By improving operational efficiency and lowering life-cycle costs, we contribute to more sustainable rail yard operations."
