Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) rewarding passengers for using trains with a low carbon footprint and (b) incentivising operators of diesel powered trains to make the switch to HVO green diesel where electrification is still not an option.

All trains, when well-utilised, have a low carbon footprint compared to alternative transport modes.

In our Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) we have committed to working with industry to modernise fares ticketing and retail to encourage a shift to rail and cleaner and greener transport journeys.

Our ambition is to remove all diesel-only trains (passenger and freight) from the network by 2040. As we decarbonise the railway, we must develop individual decarbonisation schemes carefully to ensure that they deliver both decarbonisation and other benefits, as well as value for money for the taxpayer. 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 HVO), as well as hydrogen, battery or bi-mode and hybrid traction technology.