
Rail freight operators have stopped using electric trains and switched to diesel locomotives due to soaring energy prices.
Firms cannot absorb the three-fold increase in the cost of electricity, according to trade body Rail Freight Group (RFG).
The decision to mothball electric freight trains, which result in lower CO2 emissions than diesel models, was made less than three weeks before the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow.
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RFC said in a statement: โThe current significant increase in the wholesale cost of electricity for haulage means that some operators have had to take the regrettable decision to temporarily move back to diesel locomotives.
โA 200% increase in electricity costs for each train cannot be absorbed by the operators, or customers, and so necessary action is being taken to ensure that trains can continue to operate delivering vital goods across the country.
โOur members are assuring us that this is a temporary measure and will be kept under constant review.โ
The statement added that road freight emits 76% less CO2 than road freight โeven with use of diesel locomotivesโ.

A spokesman for freight operator Direct Rail Services said: โOur fleet of locomotives offers the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions while maintaining a safe, secure and reliable service.
โThat might mean we change the type of traction we use on our train services in response to temporary fluctuations in energy prices.โ
He added that the firm is โcommitted to low-carbon rail freightโ.
Another operator, Freightliner, told magazine International Railway Journal it had taken the โdifficult decisionโ to replace their electric services with diesel locomotives โin order to maintain a cost-effective solution for transporting essential goods and supplies around the UKโ.
Industry body the Rail Delivery Group said some train operators โmay need to take short-term action to afford their billsโ, but many firms join forces to buy electricity in bulk to protect themselves from sudden price rises.
The maximum price of approximately 80% of the total electricity used to power trains in Britain is fixed until around April 2024.
A Network Rail spokesman said: โElectricity costs for Network Rail and passenger operators were negotiated some time ago and are fixed for this year and most of next.
โA few operators, however, are subject to the current market wholesale price of electricity that Network Rail passes on directly at cost.
โDespite this, rail remains the most carbon-efficient means of moving large quantities of both freight and people around the country.โ
Office of Rail and Road figures show 422 kilotonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions were made by diesel locomotives in the year to March 2021.