Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department prioritises decarbonisation benefits alongside cost considerations when assessing schemes to increase rail freight capacity.

This Government is committed to delivering a net zero railway and recognises the considerable benefits of shifting goods from road to rail. Our Transport Decarbonisation and Future of Freight plans set out our support for rail freight, recognising that freight trains emit around a quarter of the carbon dioxide per tonne-mile of road haulage. As we build back from the pandemic, and following the 2021 Spending Review, we want to provide as much clarity and certainty as possible on rail enhancements and will set out our plans shortly. We also continue to invest in rail freight through grants such as the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme.