A COALITION of organisations and MSPs have written to the First Minister calling for the Scottish Government to take rail services into public ownership.
The letter is signed by 14 groups representing rail workers, passengers, disabled people, pensioners, environmentalists, civil society and 20 cross-party MSPs.
It calls for the services to become publicly-owned next month after the Scotrail and Caledonian Sleeper Covid Emergency Measures Agreements expire in 24 days’ time.
READ MORE: Wales railway nationalisation sparks calls for Scottish Government to follow
The letter said: “Appointing a public operator in the New Year would provide greater stability and resilience for Scotland’s railways.
“It would also end profiteering and provide greater value for money for taxpayers and passengers by ensuring all funds are reinvested into creating an improved and more affordable railway that can play a greater role in connecting communities and reducing carbon emissions.”
The signatories highlight that the Covid-19 pandemic has created “substantial and unprecedented challenges” for Scotland’s railway and the Scottish Government has provided significant funding for the operators during this period.
It adds that private operators Abellio Scotrail and Serco Caledonian Sleeper “still stand to profit from Scotland’s railway through being paid a fee for operating services”.
In October it emerged that Wales will be taking trains into public ownership from 2021.
Ministers in the Senedd said they wanted to step in to “stabilise the [rail] network and keep it running”.
The Scottish Government has said it is “considering all options” for when the ScotRail contract expires in 2022.
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