Rail industry has six months to provide a ‘vision for decarbonisation’ after diesel pledge

The government’s new rail minister will call for diesel-only trains to be removed from the tracks by 2040, and is asking the industry to provide a vision for decarbonisation by the autumn.

In his first major speech in the role, Jo Johnson will argue that Britain needs to be more environmentally ambitious. “I would like to see us take all diesel-only trains off the track by 2040,” he is expected to say. “If that seems like an ambitious goal, it should be, and I make no apology for that. After all, we’re committed to ending the sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040. If we can achieve that, then why can’t the railway aspire to a similar objective?”

He will continue: “I am calling on the railway to provide a vision for how it will decarbonise. And I expect the industry to report back by the autumn.”

Johnson suggested diesel-electric bi-modes as a potential low-emission solution, but according to Jenifer Baxter, head of engineering policy at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, these are more expensive than pure electric trains, and also emit more emissions than diesel-only trains when running in diesel mode.

Baxter said a mixture of technologies and policies would be required. “The government has outlined plans to phase out diesel trains by 2040 and over the course of the next 20 years we may see the introduction of hybrid trains using diesel and battery technologies as well as hydrogen trains on lines where electrification is cost prohibitive,” she said. “In the interim it may be appropriate to retrofit technology, such as stop-start functionality on existing diesel locomotives, reducing emissions while trains are standing at platforms.”