Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of deploying battery-powered trains.

The Government expects electrification to play an important role in our programme to achieve our Net Zero 2050 target, which is why since 2010, more than 1,250 miles of electrification has been delivered in Great Britain, including over 900 miles in England and Wales in the last 11 years.

Alternative traction technologies, such as battery trains, will also play a key role in our approach to the decarbonisation of the rail network and our transition to net zero.

There are a number of trials by train operators involving battery technology currently underway such as those on TransPennine Express and Great Western Railway that will assess different battery and charging technologies.

New procurements where there is a demand for self-powered trains, such as Northern, will require suppliers to provide battery-electric solutions. Battery-powered trains for Transport for Wales and Merseyrail have been manufactured and are under test for operation on non-electrified parts of their routes.