Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the bi-mode trains on air quality in (a) Nottingham Railway station and (b) the surrounding area.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

East Midlands Railway is replacing its diesel-only Class 222 trains with bi-mode Class 810s as part of the East Midlands franchise award. These new bi-mode trains will gradually be introduced into service starting in early 2025 and are anticipated to significantly reduce air pollution emissions at Nottingham station and in the surrounding areas. The impact of these changes will be monitored by the Department for Transport's £4.5 million Air Quality Monitoring Network, which measures air pollution at selected stations across Great Britain, including Nottingham Station.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on the (a) planning and (b) programming for the electrification of the Midland Main Line to Nottingham.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Work is already underway to electrify the Midland Main Line (MML) with progress being made to install overhead line equipment between Kettering and Wigston, as well as upgrades south of Bedford to be completed in 2025. During 2024 Network Rail are continuing currently funded design and pre-construction between Wigston Junction north towards Trent Junction, a further 28.4 miles (45.7 route kilometres) of electrification on the MML. Recent plans from Network Rail indicate that electrification of the Midlands Main Line route to Sheffield and Nottingham could be completed in the early 2030s.