Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of battery-electric trains for passenger rail lines.

The Government recognises the potential for battery-electric trains to reduce the long-term operating costs of the railway, to improve the service it provides for passengers and to meet our environmental obligations. We have committed to develop a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, the first in thirty years, which will place the needs of passengers at its heart and will pursue modern standards of carbon-friendly traction, passenger comfort and accessibility. As we develop this strategy, we will carefully consider the opportunity presented by battery-electric trains, and the associated infrastructure requirements.