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1354853

registered interest
date	13/09/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to require the operators of diesel powered long distance high speed passenger trains to use renewable diesel instead of fossil diesel to support air quality for passengers in stations, railway staff and local communities close to the railway.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	48228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government is determined to reduce the impact of poor air quality on railway users, workers, and neighbours. We know that air pollution in stations is an area of particular concern. To better understand it the Department has funded air quality monitoring studies at three large enclosed stations; Birmingham New Street, London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverly. This research has highlighted that enclosed stations can be high risk areas for poor air quality, due to idling diesel engines and poor air flow and ventilation.</p><p>Following these findings, and given the importance of the issue, the Department is now funding a new £4.5 million air quality monitoring network.</p><p> </p><p>This will be rolled out over the next three years, with air quality monitors installed in around 100 stations across England and Wales. Once established, the network will help the rail industry identify priority locations where air quality improvement measures are required. Responsible organisations will be required to produce air quality improvement plans with the aim that levels of air pollutants meet the targets we will set for PM2.5, PM10 and NO2.</p><p> </p><p>The government has committed to a net zero railway by 2050, and set out an ambition to remove all diesel-only trains from the rail network by 2040, which will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. To achieve immediate carbon savings and air quality improvements, some rail operators are exploring the use of biofuels and sustainable alternative fuels. We recognise the potential value of sustainably sourced biofuels as a transitional technology, where their use is technically feasible and makes commercial and environmental sense. As part of Decarbonising transport: a better, greener Britain, the government has set out plans to work with stakeholders to develop a longer-term strategy on how the uptake and use of low-carbon fuels, including biodiesel and renewable hydrogen, could support decarbonisation across transport modes to 2050. The strategy is to be published in 2022.</p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris grouped question UIN 48226 48229 question first answered 20/09/2021 14:38:58 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1354854

registered interest
date	13/09/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment the Government has made of the impact of idling diesel powered passenger trains on railway station passengers; and if he will take steps to help increase the use of renewable diesel for trains.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	48229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government is determined to reduce the impact of poor air quality on railway users, workers, and neighbours. We know that air pollution in stations is an area of particular concern. To better understand it the Department has funded air quality monitoring studies at three large enclosed stations; Birmingham New Street, London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverly. This research has highlighted that enclosed stations can be high risk areas for poor air quality, due to idling diesel engines and poor air flow and ventilation.</p><p>Following these findings, and given the importance of the issue, the Department is now funding a new £4.5 million air quality monitoring network.</p><p> </p><p>This will be rolled out over the next three years, with air quality monitors installed in around 100 stations across England and Wales. Once established, the network will help the rail industry identify priority locations where air quality improvement measures are required. Responsible organisations will be required to produce air quality improvement plans with the aim that levels of air pollutants meet the targets we will set for PM2.5, PM10 and NO2.</p><p> </p><p>The government has committed to a net zero railway by 2050, and set out an ambition to remove all diesel-only trains from the rail network by 2040, which will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. To achieve immediate carbon savings and air quality improvements, some rail operators are exploring the use of biofuels and sustainable alternative fuels. We recognise the potential value of sustainably sourced biofuels as a transitional technology, where their use is technically feasible and makes commercial and environmental sense. As part of Decarbonising transport: a better, greener Britain, the government has set out plans to work with stakeholders to develop a longer-term strategy on how the uptake and use of low-carbon fuels, including biodiesel and renewable hydrogen, could support decarbonisation across transport modes to 2050. The strategy is to be published in 2022.</p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris grouped question UIN 48226 48228 question first answered 20/09/2021 14:38:58 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1354855

registered interest
date	13/09/2021
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with representatives of railway and station staff on the effect of idling diesel powered passenger trains on (a) health of those staff and (b) air quality; and if he will make it his policy to support the use of renewable diesel for trains.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	48230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2021 answer text <p>In our Transport Decarbonisation Plan, we have set out our ambition to deliver a net zero rail network by 2050. Rail decarbonisation will significantly improve air quality on the railway in the longer-term, however the Government is determined to reduce the impact of poor air quality on railway users, workers, and neighbours now. We know that air pollution in stations is an area of particular concern. To better understand it the Department has funded air quality monitoring studies at three large enclosed stations; Birmingham New Street, London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley. This research has highlighted that enclosed stations can be high risk areas for poor air quality, due to idling diesel engines and poor air flow and ventilation.</p><p>Following these findings, and given the importance of the issue, the Department is now funding a new £4.5 million air quality monitoring network. This will be rolled out over the next three years, with air quality monitors installed in around 100 stations across England and Wales. Once established, the network will help the rail industry identify priority locations where air quality improvement measures are required. Responsible organisations will be required to produce air quality improvement plans with the aim that levels of air pollutants meet the targets we will set for PM2.5, PM10 and NO2.</p><p>In addition, we are funding research using personal air quality monitoring equipment to assess railway staff exposure at a range of rail locations. This will help improve our understanding of occupational exposure to air pollutants.</p><p>We welcome the work that the Rail Delivery Group is doing in collaboration with industry to develop and rollout an idling limit in some places known to have air quality issues. The Government believes that, as an interim measure, idling should be reduced across the railway to quickly minimise rail’s impact on air pollution.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 21/09/2021 14:59:35 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1229007

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when diesel trains will cease to operate on the rail network.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	81979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government is developing an ambitious Transport Decarbonisation Plan to achieve net zero emissions across all modes of transport by 2050. We will use electrification and alternative technologies such as battery and hydrogen trains to remove diesel trains from the network and decarbonise the railway.</p><p> </p><p>Ongoing work led by Network Rail will inform decisions about the pace of rail decarbonisation to achieve net zero, the deployment of different decarbonisation technologies on each part of the network, and delivery of the ambition to remove all diesel-only trains from the railway by 2040.</p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 08/09/2020 16:54:19 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1167482

registered interest
date	30/10/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on the use of diesel trains on the UK rail network beyond 2040.
tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough
tabling member printed	Andy McDonald
uin	7729
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>The Government has set an ambitious, legally binding target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the UK by 2050. Rail must make a significant contribution towards achieving this target as part of our Transport Decarbonisation Plan.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with Network Rail to develop a costed decarbonisation network strategy which will inform decisions on the scale and pace of rail decarbonisation. This work will consider the full range of available technologies and identify which is most appropriate for each part of the rail network.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions on rolling stock will be taken as part of this wider strategy, alongside decisions on infrastructure. We will reduce use of diesel trains as we electrify a greater proportion of the network and as new technologies such as battery and hydrogen become more mature.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Daventry answering member printed Chris Heaton-Harris question first answered 04/11/2019 15:18:06 answering member 3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris
tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

886126

registered interest
date	18/04/2018
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had with the rail freight industry on the level of power required efficiently to haul freight before he announced the withdrawal of diesel traction in 2040; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough
tabling member printed	Andy McDonald
uin	136321
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2018 answer text <p>There is regular engagement between my Department and the rail freight industry on a wide range of subjects, including on air quality and decarbonisation issues. I have written to the rail industry asking it to report back outlining how my challenge can be achieved in order to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions, and I understand that industry has established a task force to deal with this matter which includes senior representation from the rail freight sector.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 27/04/2018 09:47:34 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald

872767

registered interest
date	27/03/2018
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Trains: Diesel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings his Department held with representatives of the rail industry prior to the announcement that diesel traction would be withdrawn from the rail network in 2040.
tabling member constituency	Middlesbrough
tabling member printed	Andy McDonald
uin	134580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text <p>Officials from the Department meet regularly with rail industry representatives including rolling stock manufacturers and owners to discuss a wide range of issues with regard to the rolling stock market.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Joseph Johnson question first answered 29/03/2018 14:13:06 answering member 4039 label Biography information for Lord Johnson of Marylebone
tabling member	4269 label Biography information for Andy McDonald