Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Daniel Kawczynski and Chris Stephens

Thursday 17th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con)]

13. What assessment he has made of the potential role of rail electrification in the Government’s net zero strategy.

[Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West) (SNP)]

17. What assessment he has made of the (a) potential merits of and (b) UK capability for accelerating the decarbonisation of transport.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Trudy Harrison)]

Our transport decarbonisation plan sets out how we will decarbonise the transport sector by 2050. Electrification will play an important role in decarbonising all modes. As my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton), the Rail Minister, has already said, over 1,221 track miles of electrification have been delivered in Great Britain since 2010, compared with 63 in the 14 years of the previous Administration, and we continue to expand the electrified rail network. For example, the integrated rail plan announcement confirmed that we will complete the electrification of the midland main line and deliver full electrification and upgrade of the trans-Pennine main line.