Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of their decision that East Midlands Trains should order 165 new bi-mode vehicles to fulfil their franchise commitment as compared with an all-electric fleet using renewable energy.

Passengers expect high quality rail services and we are committed to electrification where it delivers passenger benefits and good value for money for taxpayers, but we will also take advantage of state of the art new technology to improve journeys.

In line with the Department for Transport’s processes for appraising transport investments, an economic appraisal including the environmental impacts has been carried out using the DfT’s Transport Analysis Guidance, incorporating DEFRA guidance on transport related environmental impacts. Using this methodology, benefits from reduced greenhouse gas emissions are assessed over a 60 year appraisal period.

We expect the new bi-mode trains to deliver an overall better environmental performance than the existing diesel trains on this route and so contribute to further improving this record.