German trains to switch to biofuel by 2040

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has said it wants to completely eliminate diesel fuels from its fleet and replace them by 2040, reported dpa.

"Our 3,000 diesel vehicles will be gradually transferred to running on alternative fuels from this year," Deutsche Bahn chief executive Richard Lutz said on Sunday.

"In addition to the switch to 100-per-cent green electricity, the gradual elimination of diesel by 2040 is one of our central ecological plans."

The group intends to rely on biofuels, among other things, which are to be produced from leftover and waste materials so that fuel production does not compete with food production.

When it comes to new vehicles, the firm said it would only buy hydrogen or battery-powered engines in the future.

The freight transport subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, DB Cargo, announced similar goals in mid-January, including the use of so-called dual-power locomotives.

These can switch between conventional diesel and modern electric drive and can thus be used both on electrified tracks and on secondary lines without overhead lines.