Trains: Batteries
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of battery-electric trains for passenger rail lines.
Answered by Keir Mather
The Government recognises the potential for battery-electric trains to reduce the long-term operating costs of the railway, to improve the service it provides for passengers and to meet our environmental obligations. We have committed to develop a long-term rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, the first in thirty years, which will place the needs of passengers at its heart and will pursue modern standards of carbon-friendly traction, passenger comfort and accessibility. As we develop this strategy, we will carefully consider the opportunity presented by battery-electric trains, and the associated infrastructure requirements.
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