Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the need for new diesel-powered passenger rolling stock, other than the bimodal intercity express trains, between now and 2020, and after 2020.

The success of the railways today, with additional services, greater passenger demand and significant Government investment in electrification, means that there are some short term issues with the provision of diesel units. Within a few years, our extensive programme of electrification will allow the diesel trains that are currently used on those routes to be cascaded elsewhere.

The Government is keen for the market to lead on rolling stock procurement, and has not carried out an assessment of its own on the need for new diesel trains. However, in the February 2014 update of its Long Term Passenger Rolling Stock Strategy, the rail industry predicted that, "Assuming that the current policy of a rolling electrification programme continues in CP6 [Control Period 6: 2019 – 2024] and remains affordable to the Government, the work to date suggests that no new diesel vehicles (or other self-powered vehicles) would be required to be built in either CP5 or CP6."

However, this does not preclude bidders from including the provision of new diesel trains as part of future franchise competitions.