LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
Nationalisation, or integration with Scotrail, is not necessarily a done deal.
This is the Guardian's take: https://www.theguardian.com/busines...ice-renationalisation-serco-caledonian-trains
This is the Guardian's take: https://www.theguardian.com/busines...ice-renationalisation-serco-caledonian-trains
In a parliamentary answer, Scotland’s transport minister, Jenny Gilruth, told MSPs that Serco’s attempt to “rebase” the 15-year franchise agreement had been “rejected on the grounds of not representing value for money to the public”, and that Scottish government ministers had served notice to terminate the contract with the outsource firm on 25 June next year.
Gilruth said work was under way to determine who would run the operation after that, adding that Serco had “broadly, delivered well and significantly improved Caledonian Sleeper services over the last seven years”.
Existing UK rail legislation means the government cannot simply renationalise the franchise, although a state operator of last resort could step in if a bidding competition does not find a new franchisee.
The SNP said it was an opportunity to bring the Caledonian Sleeper into public hands, as it did with Scotrail in April.