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Railways: Electrification

Asked by Olly GloverLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 19 May 2025UIN 51249

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the reliability of battery (a) bi-mode, (b) tri-mode and (c) battery/electric hybrid trains and fully electric trains; and if she will publish the data underpinning this assessment.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

The Secretary of State has not made an assessment of the merits of different types of traction as this is a matter for operators when procuring rolling stock to deliver passenger services. The Rail Delivery Group collects common reliability data from operators and a range of industry systems as part of their role in improving performance across the industry. This data is shared with operators and other industry partners to help with reliability improvements.

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