Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require rail operators to acquire hydrogen-powered trains to replace diesel trains on routes where electrification is not economic, in order to meet their objectives of (1) removing diesel trains by 2040, and (2) achieving net zero by 2050.

As existing diesel trains require replacement we will work closely with operators on the most appropriate traction technology. The government supports the deployment of hydrogen and battery trains to decarbonise the network, where they make operational and economic sense. The government supports this through innovation funding and research. This includes work on safety and wider issues that will have to be considered to allow battery and hydrogen trains smooth entry onto the network. That is why since the start of 2019, the Department has provided just over £4m of funding through Innovate UK-run First of a Kind competitions for new traction technologies.