Trains fit for the future?

Transport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Oct 2020 Closed: 16 Sep 2021 Parliament page
The inquiry will examine how technologies such as electric, hydrogen and battery can be deployed to reduce the rail industry’s reliance on diesel-only trains. Read written evidence submitted in the previous Parliament .
7 Recommendations
19 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
2 Events
Activity timeline 6 events
27 May
2021
Report published
23 Mar
2021
Report published
9 Dec
2020
Oral evidence
9 Dec
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
11 Nov
2020
Oral evidence
11 Nov
2020
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
9 Dec 2020
View on parliament.uk
Andrew Haines · Network Rail Andrew Kluth · Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce Chris Heaton-Harris MP · Northern Ireland Office Helen McAllister · Network Rail Malcolm Brown · Rail Industry Decarbonisation Taskforce Philip Luxford · Department for Transport Rachel Maclean MP · Department for Transport
11 Nov 2020
View on parliament.uk
Chris Smith · Thirteen Group David Clarke · Railway Industry Association Leo Murray · Possible Mark Gaynor · Rail Delivery Group Mary Grant · Porterbrook Paul Smart
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the future? HC 876 23 Mar 2021 26 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
26 results
1 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Transport is the largest source of carbon emissions in the UK, accounting for 27% of...
Transport is the largest source of carbon emissions in the UK, accounting for 27% of total emissions. If the UK is to meet its 2050 net zero carbon emissions target, a concerted effort will be needed to dramatically decarbonise the … Read more
Government Response
The Government welcomes the Transport Select Committee’s report that was published on 23 March, following their ‘Trains Fit for the Future’ inquiry. We are grateful to the Committee and to … Read more
Department for Transport
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2 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We welcome the Department for Transport’s reaffirmation that it is committed to withdrawing all diesel-only...
We welcome the Department for Transport’s reaffirmation that it is committed to withdrawing all diesel-only trains by 2040—including freight trains. This will be a hugely important step in ensuring a greener, decarbonised rail network, which will be necessary for the … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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3 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
While we recognise the immediate challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, we are concerned...
While we recognise the immediate challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, we are concerned about the frequent delays to the publication of the Department’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan and the Rail Reform White Paper based on the Williams Review. These … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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4 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We recommend that the Department for Transport publishes a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail...
We recommend that the Department for Transport publishes a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network as a matter of priority. This should include a vision for what proportion of the future network will use electrification, battery and hydrogen. That … Read more
Department for Transport
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5 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Dedicated investment over the long-term will be essential in order to meet the considerable challenge...
Dedicated investment over the long-term will be essential in order to meet the considerable challenge of decarbonising the rail network by 2050. There will be understandable pressures on public spending in the coming years as the country recovers from the … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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6 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We call on the Department to work closely with other Government departments, including the Treasury,...
We call on the Department to work closely with other Government departments, including the Treasury, to secure agreement for the levels of funding necessary to begin implementing a long-term decarbonisation programme of the rail network. (Paragraph 31) 34 Trains fit … Read more
Department for Transport
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7 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Decarbonisation of the rail network over the next generation will require moving from diesel traction...
Decarbonisation of the rail network over the next generation will require moving from diesel traction to cleaner technologies, such as electrification, battery, and hydrogen. We agree with the Department and industry experts that electrification is the only immediately viable decarbonisation … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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8 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Rail electrification projects within Great Britain have historically been costly.
Rail electrification projects within Great Britain have historically been costly. The Department and Network Rail have said that lessons have been learned from previous projects. The importance of this cannot be overstated. The mistakes that unnecessarily increased the cost of … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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9 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We understand that rail electrification project costs are monitored by the Department and Network Rail...
We understand that rail electrification project costs are monitored by the Department and Network Rail as part of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline process. Any overspend would be flagged by that process. The financial failures of previous electrification programmes caused … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. After the cost challenges that we experienced with previous electrification schemes in Network Rail’s Control Period 5, we introduced more robust financial mechanisms, … Read more
Department for Transport
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10 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We recommend that the Department implements an enhanced financial mechanism beyond that contained in the...
We recommend that the Department implements an enhanced financial mechanism beyond that contained in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline process. That enhanced financial mechanism must be designed to ensure that strict transparency and adherence to cost discipline are maintained in … Read more
Department for Transport
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11 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
As recommended by our predecessor Committee in 2018, the best way to deliver efficient and...
As recommended by our predecessor Committee in 2018, the best way to deliver efficient and cost-effective electrification is to establish a rolling programme of electrification over the next 30 years. A rolling programme of electrification should also support the delivery … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. We agree that a visible pipeline and smooth delivery profile of electrification schemes will help to enable Network Rail (and subsequently Great British … Read more
Department for Transport
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12 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We recommend that the Department commits to a 30-year rolling programme of electrification projects and...
We recommend that the Department commits to a 30-year rolling programme of electrification projects and sets this out in its long-term rail decarbonisation strategy.
Department for Transport
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13 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
The scale of change required to meet the 2040 and 2050 rail decarbonisation targets is...
The scale of change required to meet the 2040 and 2050 rail decarbonisation targets is considerable. We believe it would be beneficial to start the electrification programme as soon as possible, rather than wait for the start of the next … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. We agree that a visible pipeline and smooth delivery profile of electrification schemes will help to enable Network Rail (and subsequently Great British … Read more
Department for Transport
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14 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We recommend that Network Rail and the ORR continue to explore the potential for an...
We recommend that Network Rail and the ORR continue to explore the potential for an extension in third-rail electrification capability and that the Department, as the overall sponsor of rail decarbonisation, proactively monitors this development in Trains fit for the … Read more
Department for Transport
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15 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
In responding to this Report, if not earlier, the Department should publish the list of...
In responding to this Report, if not earlier, the Department should publish the list of “no regret” electrification schemes identified by Network Rail and confirm which schemes they intend to deliver as a priority, the costs of doing so, and … Read more
Department for Transport
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16 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We believe that battery and hydrogen technology should play an important part in decarbonising the...
We believe that battery and hydrogen technology should play an important part in decarbonising the rail network and should feature prominently in the Department’s long-term decarbonisation rail strategy. New technology should be embraced although we recognise that at present both … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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17 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
The Department must make the case within Government to ensure that hydrogen trains are fully...
The Department must make the case within Government to ensure that hydrogen trains are fully incorporated within the forthcoming national Hydrogen Strategy. This will help ensure the roll out of this new technology is properly co-ordinated and supported by appropriate … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees with this recommendation. We are making the case across government for hydrogen trains to be included to an appropriate level in the forthcoming national Hydrogen Strategy.
Department for Transport
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18 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
In its response to this Report, the Department should provide more information on how it...
In its response to this Report, the Department should provide more information on how it intends, working with other Government departments, to support the growth of a domestic battery industry to ensure this form of technology can be utilised on … Read more
Government Response
The Department will work with the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy in supporting the growth of a domestic battery industry. The Government is investing £318 million from the … Read more
Department for Transport
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19 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Although the rail industry requires a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network, it is...
Although the rail industry requires a long-term strategy for decarbonising the rail network, it is important that the strategy is sufficiently flexible to incorporate alternative technologies, such as hydrogen and battery, and other new technologies that might be developed. When … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. The Department is developing a TDP and a Rail Environment Policy (REP) document. Taken together, these will set the Government’s long-term strategic direction … Read more
Department for Transport
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20 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
The long-term rail decarbonisation strategy must explain the process by which the development of alternative...
The long-term rail decarbonisation strategy must explain the process by which the development of alternative technologies will be reviewed and how such technologies can be incorporated into the network strategy, if they reach the necessary level of development.(Paragraph 88) Decarbonising … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees with this recommendation. The Network Rail-led Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy (TDNS) recommends that Network Rail regional teams translate the national picture developed as part of TDNS into … Read more
Department for Transport
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21 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Encouraging modal shift from road to rail freight will be an essential part of ensuring...
Encouraging modal shift from road to rail freight will be an essential part of ensuring the transport sector contributes to the net zero 2050 target. It is therefore crucial that any action taken to decarbonise the rail network does not … Read more
Government Response
The Government notes this recommendation and recognises the importance of taking a holistic, cross-modal view of freight decarbonisation. We will therefore be setting out further details on freight decarbonisation in … Read more
Department for Transport
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22 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
As part of its upcoming cross modal freight strategy, the Department should ensure there is...
As part of its upcoming cross modal freight strategy, the Department should ensure there is a single cross-modal freight decarbonisation target including both rail and road freight. (Paragraph 98) Research and development funding
Government Response
The Government notes this recommendation and recognises the importance of taking a holistic, cross-modal view of freight decarbonisation. We will therefore be setting out further details on freight decarbonisation in … Read more
Department for Transport
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23 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We welcome Government funding to support the establishment of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence,...
We welcome Government funding to support the establishment of the Global Centre of Rail Excellence, which is a positive step in decarbonising the rail network. However, we heard evidence that the amount of research and development funding provided by Government … Read more
Government Response
The Government partially agrees with this recommendation. Significant government support and funding for the research and development of new and emerging rail decarbonisation technologies has been taking place over a … Read more
Department for Transport
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24 Recommendation
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
We recommend that the Department’s long-term rail decarbonisation strategy sets out how research and development...
We recommend that the Department’s long-term rail decarbonisation strategy sets out how research and development will be supported and properly funded in order to deliver the scale of change required to decarbonise the rail network.(Paragraph 103) Making trains fully accessible Read more
Department for Transport
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25 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
Public transport must be accessible to all.
Public transport must be accessible to all. It is unacceptable that several train companies have consistently failed to meet targets to make their trains fully accessible, despite having had 11 years to do so. In our view, the Department’s response … Read more
Government Response
The Department is committed to making sure that trains on the mainline network comply with modern accessibility standards. Around 97 per cent are compliant, which corresponds to nearly 16,000 vehicles. … Read more
Department for Transport
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26 Conclusion
Sixth Report - Trains fit for the …
The Department must set out how it will ensure that train operators meet the legal...
The Department must set out how it will ensure that train operators meet the legal requirement to make their trains fully accessible and what sanctions will be used if some train operators once again fail to meet the deadline. We … Read more
Government Response
The Department is committed to making sure that trains on the mainline network comply with modern accessibility standards. Around 97 per cent are compliant, which corresponds to nearly 16,000 vehicles. … Read more
Department for Transport
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