Abstract: A rail brake damper includes a cylinder-piston arrangement. A damping device assigned to the piston comprises at least one damping valve having at least one piston channel, which passes through the piston, connecting the two operating chambers of the cylinder, and a closure element assigned to the piston channel. The closure element is spring pre-loaded with the effect of closing the piston channel and is acted on by the hydraulic pressure which prevails in the operating chamber facing away from the piston rod with the effect of opening the damping valve.