Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessment his Department has been made of the increase in electricity charges on Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Strategy.

An impact assessment of electricity price fluctuations on Network Rail’s Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) has not been undertaken. TDNS is a long-term strategy that provides advice about the most appropriate technology (electrification, battery, or hydrogen) to power trains on each section of the network, based on certain assumptions. While the electricity price changes are expected to be short-term, the analysis that informs TDNS will need to be updated as technology develops.