Concerns raised as decision awaited on Caledonian Sleeper rail service between Highlands and London
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Concerns have been raised about the future delivery of the Caledonian Sleeper rail service between the Highlands and London.
The cross-border overnight rail service is operated by Serco but the Scottish Government announced in the autumn that it was terminating the contract in June – seven years early.
It has yet to announce how the overnight service to Inverness will be delivered.
Inverness trade unionists are calling for the Caledonian Sleeper to be in public ownership and are concerned that uncertainty could impact on the Highland economy.
Initially, the SNP said terminating the contract presented an opportunity for nationalisation.
But in a recent Holyrood debate, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said under the constraints of UK legislation, options being considered are the direct award of a new franchise agreement, or operator-of-last-resort arrangements.
She will update parliament in the coming weeks.
She also said Serco was running “a broadly good service” and the decision on the provision of services was based on value for money.
Leah Ganley, secretary of Inverness and District Trades Council, is concerned the uncertainty could impact on the already fragile post-covid Highland economy and called on the Scottish Government “to leave no stone unturned” in its attempt to bring the Sleeper into public ownership.
“Anything less will be a dereliction of duty, both to the dedicated staff who run the service and to the economy of the Highlands which is already suffering from failing, outdated infrastructure, of which the as yet un-dualled A9 and the single line railway from the central belt are prime examples,” she said.
“If sustainability, both in terms of economy and ecology, are as important to the SNP/Green politicians as they are to workers and businesses in the Highlands, then they should take immediate action to resolve this issue, nationalise Caledonian Sleeper and run it as a public service for the communities it serves, not as a cash machine for profiteering companies like Serco.”
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says the service should be delivered by publicly-owned ScotRail.
“The Sleeper service is crucial to the north and is already subsided by government, any profit from the service should be reinvested in the service,” she said.
“Jobs in Inverness that pertain to the service should also be protected. Serco have transferred jobs from Inverness to the central belt.”
She had asked the Transport Minister to bear that in mind when making the decision.
Rail campaigner Ian Budd, convener of Friends of the Far North Line, said the Caledonian Sleeper was a vital part of the feeder services serving the northern rail lines.
“Our view is that we want this to be sorted as soon as possible and we want the service to be maintained and improved,” he said.
“The main thing is to keep it running without any kind of a gap.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “Following the Scottish Ministers’ rejection of Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited’s Rebasing proposal in October 2022, the current Caledonian Sleeper Franchise Agreement will terminate on 25 June 2023.
“The Caledonian Sleeper remains an important part of Scotland’s transport mix, particularly for Highland and rural communities.”
Serco said it was for Transport Scotland to comment on the franchise agreement post-June 2023.
