Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of using solar panels to power signalling and lights on the railway.

The Government supports the increased use of renewable energy to decarbonise the railway. As part of its Environmental Sustainability Strategy published this year, Network Rail is working to develop large-scale renewable energy generation on the rail estate. Electricity generated in this way may be used to power trains or for other uses.

Network Rail is also developing new technology to power lighting and generators using solar and battery energy through the Site of the Future project.