Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the roll-out of (a) hydrogen and (b) battery power technologies on emissions from trains.

Battery and hydrogen trains can play an important role in decarbonising the rail network. As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published in July 2021, both hydrogen and battery trains will be considered alongside electrification and we will look to deploy the most suitable technology for each rail line considering capability and value for money. The government is supporting the development of alternative traction technologies through innovation funding and research, including working with the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) to better understand safety and other operational and technical considerations to enable smooth entry of battery and hydrogen trains to the network.