Deutsche Bahn to replace diesel with 100 percent biofuels by 2040
Die Zeit
Germany’s national railway provider Deutsche Bahn has announced plans to run all trains on biofuels by 2040, newspaper Die Zeit reports. The group says it is phasing out diesel and wants to use biofuels made from residual and waste materials, so that vehicle engines do not need to be converted. "Our 3,000 diesel vehicles are already gradually running on alternative fuels from this year," Deutsche Bahn boss Richard Lutz said. "In addition to the switch to 100 percent green electricity, the gradual elimination of diesel by 2040 is one of our central ecological plans." The group says it hopes producing biofuels from waste means they will not have to compete with food production.
Deutsche Bahn announced last week that it is investing a record 13.6 billion euros in improving its network in a bid to encourage travellers to take more climate-friendly journeys. In January, the company said it is going to start trial runs with the country’s first battery-powered passenger train together with French manufacturer Alstom.
