Public Transport: Expansion and Electrification

Lord Moylan Excerpts

Monday 19th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I am pleased to say that rail is already the greenest form of transport, but more is indeed needed to meet our contribution to achieving net zero by 2050. For instance, 9% of all passenger miles are covered by electric vehicles, so it accounts for only 1% of transport emissions across the sector. We are investing in electrification, particularly on the trans-Pennine route upgrade—to electrify and upgrade the main arterial route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York. I cannot give my noble friend any commitments today, obviously, on extending the great western main line electrification, but we are working to identify other opportunities for further electrification in light of the spending view.

[Lord Moylan (Con)]

My Lords, what is the business case for electrification of public transport, when government policy means that we have the highest electricity prices in the developed world, a position that will only get worse if we join the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, as mooted in this morning’s deal?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I admire the noble Lord’s perspicacity in following this line of argument, but it is of course our reliance on gas from overseas that causes such fragility and variability in the cost of energy in this country.

“I believe that the struggle for decarbonised transport, clean development and clean air is as important as the struggle for clean water was in the 19th century”—


those are wise words, but they are not my own. Those are the words of Grant Shapps, the former Conservative Transport Secretary.