The Spring Damper Element is used in the head-end of the transitions between the cars and is particularly effective: The innovative damper technology only permits gentle movements and eliminates unwanted, abrupt jolts. The resulting increased anti-roll stability in the train improves passenger comfort and safety. The objective was to develop a damper element with an overlapping spring rate in rebound and compression. Thanks to the integration of the rebound and compression spring, the Spring Damper Element is now also optimally suited for rail vehicles with limited installation space. At the same time, the new ZF product can also be flexibly adapted to the respective vehicle-specific requirements. Both damping and spring characteristics can be defined within a broad range in order to fulfill customer-specific requirements. To compensate for tolerances, the length of the dampers in the vehicle can be adjusted. And last but not least, the transport authorities benefit from this ZF innovation. The Spring Damper Element contributes to reducing life cycle costs: Its absolutely maintenance-free, modular design makes it a convenient and favorable application in all respects.