The Heritage Railway Association (HRA), which has been campaigning to support British coal mining, has expressed considerable relief following the decisive rejection of a controversial amendment to the Energy Bill, which sought to end all domestic coal mining in the UK.

This disputed amendment, first presented in the House of Lords, was brought into focus during a committee review of the Energy Bill on June 20.

Andrew Bowie MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security, launched a persuasive argument, championing the ongoing need for UK-produced coal. His advocacy resonated with the committee, influencing their decision to reject the proposed amendment.

The committee’s deliberations were marked by echoes of prior concerns raised by the HRA. A key point of contention was the current coal narrative’s skewed emphasis on its role in electricity generation while overlooking other crucial applications of coal that currently have no suitable replacements.

Britain’s heritage railways are a prime example of a sector reliant on coal. These historic railways consume roughly 30,000 tonnes of coal annually, which matches a week’s consumption by a single coal-fired power station. Despite ongoing research into possible alternative fuels for these heritage steam locomotives, no current substitute fully meets the unique needs of these vintage engines.

The potential for a complete shutdown of UK coal production could have cast a severe shadow over the future of the nation’s illustrious heritage rail sector. This sector is a cornerstone of the UK’s cultural heritage and economy, operating a fleet of historical locomotives and drawing international tourists. Annually, it injects over £600m into the economy and is responsible for around 4,000 direct jobs. For this primarily not-for-profit sector, already strained by substantial financial pressures, the proposed mining ban might have been a challenge too formidable to surmount.

The government had previously suggested removing the proposed amendment before the committee review. Still, its official rejection has been greatly received by the heritage railway community. Following the committee’s decision, the amended Energy Bill will move on to the House of Commons for additional scrutiny and debate.

Andrew Bowie MP said: “Even when we phase out coal power stations, domestic demand for coal will continue in industries such as steel, cement and heritage railways, and that demand can be met by domestic resources on existing lines of deployment.

“A full prohibition of coal extraction, regardless of the circumstances or where that coal is going to be used—be that in steel, cement or a heritage railway—is likely to prevent extensions to existing operational mining, even where an extension would enable site restoration or deliver public safety benefits; cut across heritage mining rights in the Forest of Dean, which are important to its tourism offer; and, importantly, prevent domestic coal extraction projects from progressing that are seeking to supply industries that are still reliant on coal.”

“I stress that it is really important that we ensure that the industries in the United Kingdom that rely on coal are able to rely on a domestic source for that coal – British coal – and not on imports from overseas, which will actually increase carbon emissions.”

Heritage Railway Association Chief Executive, Steve Oates, said: “This move by government is incredibly welcome and demonstrates a growing understanding of the important place that heritage rail has in our cultural heritage and visitor economy.

“It’s also very reassuring to hear senior people in government recognise publicly that coal is not inextricably linked to power stations. And that they understand forcing remaining users to import coal from thousands of miles away would be more damaging to the environment than using domestically mined fuel.

“There’s still much work to do on ensuring access to a stable, long-term fuel for historic steam locomotives can be guaranteed, but this is an important milestone.”