Lord Faulkner, Heritage Railway Association President, has secured Government assurance that the Environment Bill will have no direct impact on heritage steam, and that they do not intend to change its policy towards heritage steam.
The HRA President received huge support from fellow peers back in the summer after he highlighted the risk to heritage railways without assurance from the Government that it would not be affected by the Environment Bill.
The last figures from the HRA has shown that total steam locomotive emissions were just 0.023% of the UK’s total carbon dioxide emissions, which means that, according to the HRA, Heritage Rail provides to of the most efficient services per passenger mile and brings £1bn to the national economy.
Back in July, Lord Faulkner’s amendments hit the headlines when Baron Neville-Rolfe spoke in support of Heritage Rail, saying “…this Bill could bring about the death of Thomas the Tank Engine and his or her nautical steamboat equivalent…”
Responding, Environment Minister Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist has confirmed that heritage vehicles are not in the scope of the Environment Bill, including steam trains, road vehicles and boats.
Baroness Bloomfield said: “We listened to the concerns raised by the heritage bodies during consultation on the measures, as well as engaging with the inquiries of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Heritage Rail. I can confirm that there will be no direct impact on the heritage steam sector as a result of this Bill. The Government do not intend to bring forward policy that would have a direct impact on it.”
In her subsequent letter to Lord Faulkner of 11 October 2021 Baroness Bloomfield made clear that “the Smoke Control Area Provisions in the (1993) Act, and the amendments to them through the Environment Bill, do not and will not apply to smoke from steam trains or road steam vehicles.”
Lord Faulkner said: “I am pleased at the overwhelming response from fellow peers for my tabled amendments which were designed to secure the future of heritage steam. I am reassured that significance of heritage railways has been recognised and, in particular, the need to protect the steam heritage sector from additional environmental restrictions. “
He added: “I have been assured that the Smoke Control Area provisions of the Environment Act will not apply to steam trains.”
“Existing control under Section 43 of the Clean Air Act 1993 requires that practicable measures are taken to minimise emission of dark smoke by railway engines.
“We will emphasize to our member railways, all of whom already take their environmental responsibilities very seriously, that they must, so far as practicable, minimise dark smoke emissions.”
The HRA is further reassured after the Lords’ debate in July 2021, and subsequent national publicity prompted Defra to issue a statement: “The Government understands and appreciates the important contribution that the heritage sector, including steam railways, makes to our national culture. The smoke emission measures in the Environment Bill will not apply to emissions from steam trains.”
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How can i be sure that he’ll keep his word?
Mr Nash’s comment is crucial. It doesn’t matter what the “policy” is. If there is no coal available the whole heritage rail industry is all but finished in terms of steam operation. And we haven’t even mentioned diesel traction.
There are many ways steam locomotives can run on biofuels. In Arizona, on the Grand Canyon Railway, steam locomotives run on Waste Vegetable Oil. Wood pellets have shown positive results with no conversion needed. Love for steam always finds a way.
Where is the coal coming from and at what cost to Heritage Railways.
If the cost is expensive surely this may limit running steam locos.