Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce roadside emissions from large heavy goods vehicles by making greater use of electric rail haulage in the next 15 years.

The Government’s Rail Freight Strategy recognises the environmental benefits of shifting freight from road to rail, and the Strategy sets out a vision for how rail can increase its share of the freight market. The Government supports modal shift through funding improvements to the rail network for freight, investing £235m in Control Period 5 (2014-2019). The Statement of Funds Available for Control Period 6 (2019-2024) includes funding for continued infrastructure investment for both passenger and freight operators.

The Government has set out an ambition to decarbonise the railway by phasing out all diesel-only trains by 2040, and the rail industry is due to respond to this challenge shortly. In support of the Government’s ambition, the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) announced in October 2018 that it is making funding available to facilitate research and innovation.