Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 March (HL6061), what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the small diesel engine to get an electric Inter City Express train from Newark to Doncaster over the 51-mile diversionary route via Swinderby; and how long it would take to complete that journey.

The small engine installed on the electric Intercity Express trains is intended as a means of moving the train to the nearest station in the event of disruption. As such, journey times between Newark and Doncaster via Swinderby have not been assessed. It is planned that the Bi mode trains in the fleet will operate on the diversionary route via Lincoln during times of perturbation and engineering works. Bi mode trains are capable of reaching line speed.