Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the East-West Rail line from Cambridge to Oxford will be an electrified line, using fully electrified trains, from the date services on that line begin.

We are keen to ensure passengers realise the benefits of East West Rail as early as possible. This means it is likely that diesel rolling stock could be used between Oxford and Bedford when services commence. This also allows East West Rail Company to explore a wider range of green energy technologies that could replace diesel rolling stock so that they can move closer towards becoming a net-zero carbon railway by the time services run from Oxford to Cambridge.