Plans For Scotland's Railways

Labour announce a new deal for Scotland's railways inside the UK if Scotland votes 'no' in September.

Labour politicians have outlined plans for the country's railways if Scots reject independence.

The party wants to re-nationalise the train service, saying the publicly-owned East Coast line is an example of the way forward.

Members want to review the franchising process to protect taxpayers' and passengers' interests, and to allow public bodies to run the main lines into Scotland.

Plans also include:

- Legislating in the UK Parliament to allow a public sector company to compete on a level playing field for UK rail franchises. This would include the East and West Coast Mainlines to Scotland.

- Passing the powers to the Scottish Parliament to enable the Parliament to open up the Scotrail franchise to co-operative and public sector companies.

- Encouraging cooperative principles into the rail industry to make sure that passengers and employees are involved in transport deliver.

- Ensuring that track operators and rail companies work together to put passenger interests at the heart of the decision making process

Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary, Mary Creagh MP said:

"Two decades on from rail privatisation, passengers across the UK are getting a raw deal from many of the rail operators. The first priority should be passengers, not profit. That’s why we need a new deal for our railways, in Scotland and across the UK.

"The East Coast line, which has served passengers in Scotland well, has worked in public hands. That’s why Labour will learn the lessons from East Coast and make sure that public sector companies can compete on a level playing field with the private sector."

James Kelly MSP, Labour's Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities said:

"The SNP's White Paper says that after separation, we can consider new forms of ownership for our railways. But we don't need independence for that. We will devolve these powers to the Scottish Parliament in Labour’s first Queen’s Speech and open up our railways to public sector companies.

"We need our railways to be working for passengers. Under the SNP more than half a billion pounds of public money funds the rail franchise. That's why we need public sector companies to be able to compete on a level playing field with the private sector."

An SNP spokesperson said:

"The polls show far more support for an independent Scotland than the likelihood of Ed Miliband's Labour party getting elected at Westminster - and Scotland can't afford the risk of the Tories getting back in.

"It's encouraging to see that James Kelly and Labour recognise the value of the proposals put forward in Scotland's Future - but these are promises that Labour and Tory Westminster governments have continually failed to deliver and cannot be trusted on any more. 

"Only a Yes vote and independence will allow governments elected by the people of Scotland the powers needed to decide the best way to structure - including the best ownership model - our railways so that they serve to benefit all of the people of Scotland."