Are diesel trains banned in the UK?

Goodbye diesel: what does the phase-out mean for UK rail innovation? The UK Government has announced that diesel-only trains will be phased out by 2040. Currently, 29% of the UK's fleet is diesel and the move has been received positively by campaigners. But what does the phase-out involve?



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The decision not to procure new diesel trains had already been made in 2020. As soon as trains have reached the end of their economic life, they are now to be replaced with battery trains. Trains that are theoretically still operational are to be used on non-electrified lines during the transition.

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No modern train uses a diesel engine to power their wheels directly. They're used as generators to power electric motors. So the only difference boils down to where the electricity comes from. And even in the most train-friendly countries like France and Japan, huge sections of the network are not electrified.

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Power plant capacity is far greater than any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have a higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration. Electric locomotives are ideal for commuter rail service with frequent stops.

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A train engine requires about a hundred litres of fuel to get it started. So it wouldn't be economical if the engine is stopped and started frequently. This apart, if the engine is stopped, the moving parts' lubrication will also come to a halt.

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Diesels can still operate on electrified lines, they simply do not pull power from the overhead wires, instead burning diesel to generate power. There are no clearance problems for diesels to operate on electrified lines.

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The Union Pacific Centennial is the largest and most powerful diesel locomotive ever built.

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If we take an overall view of the transport sector, 71% of transportation related carbon emissions come from road users, whereas only 1.8% of emissions stem from rail travel. So in absolute terms, trains are responsible for a lot less emissions than cars.

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Cons of diesel cars
  • Diesel cars tend to be more expensive to buy than similar petrol models.
  • Diesel fuel usually costs more.
  • Servicing can be more expensive, although you don't need to do it as often.
  • Insurance can be 10-15% higher. [ ...
  • Diesel cars produce a lot more NO2.


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Power plant capacity is far greater than any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have a higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration. Electric locomotives are ideal for commuter rail service with frequent stops.

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The diesel-electric locomotive offered many advantages over its steam-powered counterpart. It needed less maintenance, used less fuel and could be operated with a smaller crew. It also didn't require expensive support structures like roundhouses, coaling towers and water tanks.

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Each motor drives a small gear, which meshes with a larger gear on the axle shaft. This provides the gear reduction that allows the motor to drive the train at speeds of up to 125 mph. Each motor can weigh over 6,600 pounds (3,100 kilograms) and draw more than 700 amps of electrical current.

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