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Written Question
Railways: Hydrogen
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to explore green hydrogen as a solution to railway emissions.

Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Transport Decarbonisation plan has committed to delivering a net zero rail network by 2050, with an ambition to remove all diesel-only trains from the network by 2040. While Government expects electrification to remain the dominant zero emission technology, the government supports the deployment of alternative traction such as battery and hydrogen to decarbonise the network where it makes operational and economic sense.

Through the First of a Kind competition, the Department granted £750,000 to facilitate trials of the UK's first hydrogen-powered train, HydroFLEX, to enable a better understanding the operational feasibility of hydrogen trains. The government welcomes further innovation of hydrogen technology for the railway and will keep this under review. The Department will continue to work with the Great British Railway Transition Team to develop future options to decarbonise the railway.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Railways
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to draw on academic expertise to help deliver financially sustainable rail infrastructure in developing countries.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO funds academic research into transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Rail examples include 1) the High-Volume Transport programme supporting modelling on the viability of hydrogen engines for rail lines in Africa and research into more resilient infrastructure and systems, including rail; and 2) the ieConnect programme evaluating mobility impacts of rail construction in Dakar, Senegal. Both programmes' research includes safety and accessibility of trains for women, girls and people with disabilities.

The Green Cities and Infrastructure Centre of Expertise will use this evidence to advise partner governments on infrastructure policies and investments in large scale urban infrastructure projects.


Written Question
Trains: Carbon Emissions
Friday 20th October 2023

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the roll-out of (a) hydrogen and (b) battery power technologies on emissions from trains.

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

Battery and hydrogen trains can play an important role in decarbonising the rail network. As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published in July 2021, both hydrogen and battery trains will be considered alongside electrification and we will look to deploy the most suitable technology for each rail line considering capability and value for money. The government is supporting the development of alternative traction technologies through innovation funding and research, including working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) to better understand safety and other operational and technical considerations to enable smooth entry of battery and hydrogen trains to the network.


Written Question
Railways: Biofuels
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to encourage the use of (a) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and (b) other biofuels on non-electrified parts of the railway network.

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

In Decarbonising Transport: a Better, Greener Britain, the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. Our ambition is to remove all diesel-only trains (passenger and freight) from the network by 2040. As we decarbonise the railway, we are working with GBRTT to bring forward costed options for government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability. This will involve working closely with operators and manufacturers on assessing and deploying the most appropriate traction technology. This includes electrification, alternate fuels (such as Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), as well as hydrogen, battery or bi-mode and hybrid traction technology.

The Low Carbon Fuel Strategy, which the Department intends to publish later this year, will set out possible scenarios for the deployment of low carbon fuels across all transport sectors out to 2050.


Written Question
Railways: Biofuels
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential for (a) Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and (b) other biofuels to decarbonise railways pending full electrification.

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

In Decarbonising Transport: a Better, Greener Britain, the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. Our ambition is to remove all diesel-only trains (passenger and freight) from the network by 2040. As we decarbonise the railway, we are working with GBRTT to bring forward costed options for government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability. This will involve working closely with operators and manufacturers on assessing and deploying the most appropriate traction technology. This includes electrification, alternate fuels (such as Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), as well as hydrogen, battery or bi-mode and hybrid traction technology.

The Low Carbon Fuel Strategy, which the Department intends to publish later this year, will set out possible scenarios for the deployment of low carbon fuels across all transport sectors out to 2050.


Written Question
Railways: South Yorkshire
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans for the electrification of the railway line between Stockport and Sheffield.

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

In Decarbonising Transport: a Better, Greener Britain, the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. To do so we will electrify additional lines and encourage deployment of battery and hydrogen trains on lines where it makes economic and operational sense.

In relation to individual railway routes, the Great British Railways Transition Team will bring forward costed decarbonisation options for Government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability.


Written Question
Railways: North Wales
Monday 5th June 2023

Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of 20 April 2023 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Official Report, column 366, what estimate he has made of the timescale for the electrification of the north Wales Mainline.

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

In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan the government committed to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. To do so we will electrify additional lines and deploy battery and hydrogen trains on lines where it makes economic and operational sense.

In relation to individual railway routes, the Great British Railways Transition Team will bring forward costed decarbonisation options for Government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability. No decision has yet been taken on the North Wales Mainline.


Written Question
Logistics: Hydrogen
Friday 2nd June 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role hydrogen could play in reducing carbon emissions associated with the logistics sector.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Hydrogen has an important potential role to play in decarbonising heavier applications such as HGVs. There are specific use cases where hydrogen can offer advantages over batteries, for example where vehicles need longer ranges and more rapid refuelling (longer distance HGVs) or greater energy density. The Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator programme will showcase zero emission HGV technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, at scale, on UK roads. The programme will build a strong evidence base to enable strategic, long-term, national infrastructure decisions to be made.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) supports the supply of renewable hydrogen used in transport by placing obligations on suppliers to ensure a percentage of the fuel supplied in the UK is from renewable sources where it can provide valuable carbon savings. The Government has expanded this support to include not just road vehicles, but also trains and shipping. Fuels supplied under the RTFO scheme deliver a third of domestic transport carbon savings under current carbon budgets.


Written Question
Logistics: Carbon Emissions
Thursday 25th May 2023

Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential role of hydrogen in reducing carbon emissions relating to the logistics sector.

Answered by Jesse Norman

Hydrogen has an important potential role to play in decarbonising heavier applications such as HGVs. There are specific use cases where hydrogen can offer advantages over batteries, for example where vehicles need longer ranges and more rapid refuelling (longer distance HGVs) or greater energy density. The Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator programme will showcase zero emission HGV technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, at scale, on UK roads. The programme will build a strong evidence base to enable strategic, long-term, national infrastructure decisions to be made.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) supports the supply of renewable hydrogen used in transport by placing obligations on suppliers to ensure a percentage of the fuel supplied in the UK is from renewable sources where it can provide valuable carbon savings. The Government has expanded this support to include not just road vehicles, but also trains and shipping. Fuels supplied under the RTFO scheme deliver a third of domestic transport carbon savings under current carbon budgets.


Written Question
Manchester-Southport Railway Line: Electrification
Monday 13th March 2023

Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support electrification on the Southport to Wigan Rail line.

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

At present the Department does not have any plans to electrify the Southport to Wigan line. In the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the Government committed to delivering a net zero rail network by 2050, with sustained carbon reductions in rail along the way. To help deliver this, we will electrify additional lines and deploy battery and hydrogen trains on some lines, where it makes economic and operational sense. The Great British Railways Transition Team will bring forward costed options for the Government to carefully consider in terms of overall deliverability and affordability.