Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 19
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the future?
Published 23 Mar 2021
Paragraph 87
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Trains fit for the future? All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Although the rail industry requires a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network, it is important that the strategy is sufficiently flexible to incorporate alternative technologies, such as hydrogen and battery, and other new technologies that might be developed. When and if it is demonstrated that clean, green and cost- effective alternatives to electrification can deliver the energy required by freight and high-speed passenger services, they should be introduced to decarbonise the rail network.
From: Transport Committee, Sixth Report - Trains fit for the future? (HC 876), paragraph 87, 23 March 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 May 2021 (deadline 23 May 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and agrees that rail must be made greener to meet net zero by 2050, and it agrees, partially agrees or notes the individual recommendations.
- On a long-term decarbonisation strategy (Recommendation 1), the government "partially agrees" and says a comprehensive environment plan for the rail network "will be published by 2022".
- On a 30-year rolling electrification programme (Recommendation 4), it "partially agrees", stating it "will endeavour to deliver that pipeline of schemes over the next 30 years", while continuing to develop schemes through the RNEP process.
- It "agrees" to work closely with other departments, including the Treasury, "to secure the necessary funding to deliver the policy that we will set out in TDP".
- On a single cross-modal freight decarbonisation target (Recommendation 10), the government "notes this recommendation" and says further details on freight decarbonisation will be set out in its forthcoming Transport Decarbonisation Plan.