A coalition of the CDU and SPD political parties in Berlin has agreed to build a test track for a magnetic levitation (maglev) train, with costs estimated at around €80 million, according to CDU parliamentary group leader Dirk Stettner. The planned line is to be 5 to7 km long, although the exact route and the start of construction have not yet been determined. Stettner emphasised that a maglev line would be cheaper and quicker to build than a metro line and would enable both passenger and freight transport. The line is to be financed by the federal government's special climate fund. Markus Hecht from the Technical University of Berlin has criticised the plans for the maglev train and has raised questions about the costs, energy efficiency, and incalculable risks if the new strategy is approved.
