North MSP says nationalisation of Caledonian Sleeper service is essential to create reliable public transport system

THE nationalisation of the Caledonian Sleeper train service is "an essential step forward" in creating a reliable public transport system, according to a north MSP.

Ariane Burgess, Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, welcomed the service, which operates overnight between Inverness and London, being returned to the public sector and described it as vital for the area.

She said: "The nationalisation of the Caledonian Sleeper is an essential step forward in creating an accessible, affordable and reliable public transport system that operates for people, not profit. We now need to ensure that it is a low-cost option, competitive with aviation, and can get people from Inverness to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and beyond.

"A rail renaissance is happening across Europe, allowing people to travel the continent quickly and easily in an environmentally friendly way. With transport remaining Scotland’s largest source of emissions, we need to ensure Scotland is not left behind."

Ms Burgess added: "The nationalisation of this service shows what can be accomplished when you have a forward-looking government with Green voices. After a long and painful experiment with rail privatisation, with Scottish Greens in Government we’re now building a public service, run in the public interest, that will work for passengers, staff and the planet."

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