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Network Rail: Energy

Asked by Alex MayerLabourDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 15 December 2025UIN 97699

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the levels of Network Rail’s energy costs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

Network Rail is required to consider value for taxpayers’ money in the way that it runs the railway. This includes in relation to energy costs. External factors, including the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have driven fluctuations in energy prices and have increased Network Rail’s energy costs. To mitigate any further fluctuations and increase its use of renewables, Network Rail has signed a corporate power purchase agreement (CoPPA) starting from 2026, that will see 49.9 megawatts (MW) of clean renewable energy generated, enough to power around 15% of Network Rail’s annual non-traction energy consumption.

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