Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential environmental impact of operating the Class 171 diesel fleet on the Uckfield Line.

The Secretary of State has not made a specific assessment of the environmental impact of operating the Class 171 diesel fleet on the Uckfield Line. As the line is not electrified, it is for the operator to deploy appropriate rolling stock to deliver services while seeking to reduce environmental impacts wherever possible.

We are developing a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, for the first time in over 30 years, which we expect to publish this Autumn. As part of this strategy, we will set out our approach to rail decarbonisation.