Germany has been making little progress toward goals of electrifying most of its railway network by adding overhead lines, according to two transport advocacy groups.
Around 600 kilometres of overhead electric lines would need to be built every year in order to hit the German government's goal of electrifying three-quarters of the country's rail network by 2030, according to the Pro-Rail Alliance and the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) on Wednesday.
But over the past 13 years, an average of only around 80 kilometres have been added each year, the groups said, meaning construction would need to now move nearly eight times faster to hit the target.
According to data presented by the groups, about 62% of the German rail network was equipped with overhead lines last year, roughly the same level as the previous year.
The busiest lines, however, have almost all been electrified, meaning the routes used by diesel locomotives tend to be less popular or important. Electric trains account for 90% of all rail traffic in Germany.
The VDV's managing director for rail transport, Martin Henke, said: "The industry would like to see much faster progress. We believe that an electrification target of 80% by 2035 is not only desirable, but also realistic."