A method for supporting a vehicle driver of a rail vehicle, having the following steps: - storage of datasets of earlier journeys, each containing target values (c), operating parameter data (a) and status parameter data (b) from an earlier journey; - acquisition by a driver assistance system of a rail vehicle of current operating parameter data and current status parameter data from a current journey made by a vehicle driver; - acquisition of current target values achieved on the vehicle driver's current journey on the basis of the operating parameter data and the status parameter data acquired by the driver assistance system; - determination of comparative journeys similar to the current journey being made by the vehicle driver from the datasets of earlier journeys on the basis of the current operating parameter data and status parameter data acquired by comparing the operating parameter data and the status parameter data from the current journey with the operating parameter data (a) and status parameter data (b) from the earlier journeys, by allocating a degree of similarity to each of the datasets from earlier journeys and by using earlier journeys with degrees of similarity reaching or exceeding a predetermined limit value as comparative journeys; - comparison of the current target values with target values (c) from the datasets of earlier journeys of the specific comparative journeys, and generation of comparative results; - evaluation of the comparison on the basis of the comparative results of the target values and generation of an evaluation result: and - display of the comparative results and/or the evaluation result by the driver assistance system. - storage of datasets of earlier journeys, each containing target values (c), operating parameter data (a) and status parameter data (b) from an earlier journey; - acquisition by a driver assistance system of a rail vehicle of current operating parameter data and current status parameter data from a current journey made by a vehicle driver; - acquisition of current target values achieved on the vehicle driver's current journey on the basis of the operating parameter data and the status parameter data acquired by the driver assistance system; - determination of comparative journeys similar to the current journey being made by the vehicle driver from the datasets of earlier journeys on the basis of the current operating parameter data and status parameter data acquired by comparing the operating parameter data and the status parameter data from the current journey with the operating parameter data (a) and status parameter data (b) from the earlier journeys, by allocating a degree of similarity to each of the datasets from earlier journeys and by using earlier journeys with degrees of similarity reaching or exceeding a predetermined limit value as comparative journeys; - comparison of the current target values with target values (c) from the datasets of earlier journeys of the specific comparative journeys, and generation of comparative results; - evaluation of the comparison on the basis of the comparative results of the target values and generation of an evaluation result: and - display of the comparative results and/or the evaluation result by the driver assistance system.