The energy company will supply Network Rail with around 3.2TWh of electricity a year, with the majority of the electricity used to power electric trains. Electric trains account for 55 per cent of rail traffic and this figure could grow as Network Rail plans to electrify more than 2,000 track miles across Britain.
At present only 40 per cent of the rail network is electrified but by 2020 this could jump to 54 per cent, with electric trains accounting for 75 per cent of all rail traffic.
Vincent de Rivaz, chief executive of EDF Energy, said: “Network Rail is the biggest single electricity customer in the UK so this long term deal is a massive vote of confidence in our nuclear-backed energy. Rail is already one of the least carbon intensive ways to travel and the huge investment in electrification will be backed by a stable and affordable supply of low carbon energy.
“The deal places nuclear energy at the heart of the UK’s infrastructure for the next 10 years and serves to underline that nuclear power is part of everyday life in Britain.”