Select Committee · Transport Committee

Trains fit for the future?

Status: Closed Opened: 22 Oct 2020 Closed: 16 Sep 2021 18 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report

The inquiry will examine how technologies such as electric, hydrogen and battery can be deployed to reduce the rail industry’s reliance on diesel-only trains. Read written evidence submitted in the previous Parliament .

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the future? HC 876 23 Mar 2021 26 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
6 Recommendation Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

We call on the Department to work closely with other Government departments, including the Treasury,...

We call on the Department to work closely with other Government departments, including the Treasury, to secure agreement for the levels of funding necessary to begin implementing a long-term decarbonisation programme of the rail network. (Paragraph 31) 34 Trains fit for the futuree Rolling programme of electrification Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation and commits to working closely with other departments, including the Treasury, to secure necessary funding for the decarbonisation policy to be set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
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Department for Transport
14 Recommendation Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

We recommend that Network Rail and the ORR continue to explore the potential for an...

We recommend that Network Rail and the ORR continue to explore the potential for an extension in third-rail electrification capability and that the Department, as the overall sponsor of rail decarbonisation, proactively monitors this development in Trains fit for the futuree 35 the event that Network Rail and the Office … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees to proactively monitor Network Rail and ORR's exploration of third-rail electrification extension, and is funding a project by the Rail Safety and Standards Board to investigate safety improvements for third rail electrification.
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Department for Transport
17 Recommendation Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

The Department must make the case within Government to ensure that hydrogen trains are fully...

The Department must make the case within Government to ensure that hydrogen trains are fully incorporated within the forthcoming national Hydrogen Strategy. This will help ensure the roll out of this new technology is properly co-ordinated and supported by appropriate infrastructure. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and is actively making the case across government to ensure hydrogen trains are included at an appropriate level in the forthcoming national Hydrogen Strategy.
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Department for Transport
18 Recommendation Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

In its response to this Report, the Department should provide more information on how it...

In its response to this Report, the Department should provide more information on how it intends, working with other Government departments, to support the growth of a domestic battery industry to ensure this form of technology can be utilised on the railway. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to work with BEIS to support a domestic battery industry and detailing its existing £318 million investment in the Faraday Battery Challenge, which aims to establish the UK as a leader in battery science, research, and manufacturing.
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Department for Transport
20 Recommendation Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

The long-term rail decarbonisation strategy must explain the process by which the development of alternative...

The long-term rail decarbonisation strategy must explain the process by which the development of alternative technologies will be reviewed and how such technologies can be incorporated into the network strategy, if they reach the necessary level of development.(Paragraph 88) Decarbonising rail freight Read more

Government response AI summary
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that the TDNS recommends regional assessments of alternative technologies and that Great British Railways will be well-placed to consider all options and update the analysis periodically as technologies develop.
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Department for Transport
25 Conclusion Sixth Report - Trains fit for the futur… Accepted

Public transport must be accessible to all.

Public transport must be accessible to all. It is unacceptable that several train companies have consistently failed to meet targets to make their trains fully accessible, despite having had 11 years to do so. In our view, the Department’s response of extending the legal deadline and requiring monthly progress reporting … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government commits to removing the remaining 3% (525 vehicles) of non-compliant trains from service as soon as possible, with 133 of these only being used when coupled to compliant vehicles. Operators are prioritising compliant trains and taking operational mitigations.
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Department for Transport

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions
Date Witnesses
9 Dec 2020 Andrew Haines · Network Rail, Andrew Kluth · Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce, Chris Heaton-Harris MP · Northern Ireland Office, Helen McAllister · Network Rail, Malcolm Brown · Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce, Philip Luxford · Department for Transport, Rachel Maclean MP · Department for Transport View ↗
11 Nov 2020 Chris Smith · Thirteen Group, David Clarke · Railway Industry Association, Leo Murray · Possible, Mark Gaynor · Rail Delivery Group, Mary Grant · Porterbrook, Paul Smart View ↗

Who gave evidence

13 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andrew Haines · Chief Executive Network Rail 1
Andrew Kluth · Lead Carbon Specialist Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce 1
Chris Heaton-Harris MP · Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Office 1
Chris Smith · Executive Director of Business Growth Thirteen Group 1
David Clarke · Technical Director Railway Industry Association 1
Helen McAllister · Strategy and Planning Director Network Rail 1
Leo Murray · Director of Innovation Possible 1
Malcolm Brown · Chair Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce 1
Mark Gaynor · Head of Railway Planning Rail Delivery Group 1
Mary Grant · Chief Executive Officer Porterbrook 1
Paul Smart 1
Philip Luxford · Director of One Railway and Security Department for Transport 1
Rachel Maclean MP · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Transport 1