DB Regio switches its fleet to biofuel

DB Regio started to fuel 57 diesel trains in Baden-Württemberg with biodiesel. According to them, biofuels emit about 90% less CO₂ into the atmosphere than diesel fuel. It is reported by Railway Supply with reference to the Railway Gazette.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil is produced from biological residues and waste. It does not contain palm oil and does not compete with the production of food and animal feed.

MIU has prepared documents on the continuation of the experiment on private traction

Trains operate on the Aulendorfer Kreuz and Donau-Ostalb tracks. The rolling stock does not need to be converted to use biofuel, and the filling point in Aulendorf has been converted from diesel to biofuel so it is available to any operator.

On 1 September Thorsten Krenz, DB group representative in Baden-Württemberg, and Winfried Hermann, state minister of transport, refueled the first train.

“By December 2023, we will save about 3,700 tons of CO₂ at two sites,” said Evelyn Palla, DB board member for regional transport. “Until the end of this year, we want to use biofuels for regional transport in other places in Germany. In this way, we are making the already climate-friendly public transport system even more sustainable and attractive to our passengers.”

The Land is allocating EUR 400,000 in 2022-2023 to support the transition to biofuels.

As Winfried Hermann said: “Trains no longer have to run on climate-damaging diesel fuel. We are working on a nationwide strategy to get away from diesel fuel. Where electrification is not yet possible, we rely on alternative fuels.”

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