Two trains built by the French train maker Alstom are now operating on a 62 mile stretch of line in northern Germany.
Getting cars off the roads would help combat climate change and improve air quality as well. Government policy could make this happen.
The GDL union, which represents about one in 10 of railway operator Deutsche Bahn's nearly 200,000 workers, wants a 5-percent pay rise and a reduction in the working week to 37 hours from 39. It is also fighting for the right to negotiate on behalf of other
employees including train stewards.
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