Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost of electrifying all railway lines in (a) the North East and (b) England.

As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, the UK Government is committed to achieving a net zero railway by 2050. Achieving that will require a mix of battery trains, hydrogen trains and track electrification, not just wholesale electrification of the currently unelectrified network.

Electrification costs across the country can vary significantly depending on factors that include complexity and topography. We will continue to ensure that new schemes deliver value for money for taxpayers.