The invention relates to a tamping unit (1) for tamping sleepers (2) of a track (3), comprising tamping tools (4a, 4b) aligned in pairs with tamping picks (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h) fastened in holders, wherein each tamping tool (4a, 4b) is assigned a hydraulic
actuator (6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h) for generating an adjusting movement of the tamping picks (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h), and wherein an eccentric drive (7) for generating a first vibration movement of the tamping picks (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h) is arranged in such a way is that one of the hydraulic actuators (6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h) is connected on the one hand to the eccentric drive (7) and on the other hand to an upper end of a pivot lever (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h) of the associated tamping tool (4a, 4b), and wherein a hydraulic switching element (9, 9a, 9b) is connected between pressure chamber connections (11a,11b) of the respective hydraulic
actuator (6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h) and a hydraulic line network (10), wherein the respective hydraulic switching element (9, 9a, 9b) is configured to generate a second vibration movement in the associated hydraulic
actuator (6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h), and wherein the respective pivot lever (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h) is configured to transmit a superposition of the first and second vibration movements to the respective tamping pick (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 5f, 5g, 5h).