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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Fiona Harvey Environment editor

Rail electrification plans fall far short of UK net zero targets, data shows

A train at Stockport station
A train at Stockport station, north-west England. Only about 100 miles of railway in the UK is set to be electrified over the next three years – 12% of what is needed to stay on track to meet 2050 net zero goals. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

Plans to electrify the UK’s railways are running so far short of what is needed that it would take 240 years at current rates to reach the net zero goal, data has shown.

Over the next three years, to the end of 2025, the UK is set to electrify 162.5km (101 miles) of railway track, which is only about 12% of what is estimated to be needed over that period to be in line with the goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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