Unions hit out as academic takes on key rail sector position

Union leaders have hit out after a senior academic was appointed as the new chairman of the Scottish Government body that owns both ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced Professor Iain Docherty is to take up the post of chairman of Scottish Rail Holdings Limited.

He will take up the post on Tuesday, with Ms Hyslop saying he brings a “wealth of knowledge and experience of the transport sector”.

But both the RMT and Aslef trade unions hit out at the decision to appoint Prof Docherty, who holds positions including dean of the Institute for Advanced Studies and professor of public policy and governance at the University of Stirling.

Kevin Lindsay, Aslef’s organiser in Scotland, said: “This appointment sends the wrong message at the wrong time.

“Scotland’s railway services need investment and a clear commitment to grow our rail services.

“The Scottish Government have just appointed a man who only a few short years ago wanted to slash and burn rail services in Scotland, using the Covid pandemic as a pretext to do so.”

Mr Lindsay continued: “We are incredibly concerned that Professor Iain Docherty, who wanted to close ticket offices, cut services and slash jobs by ‘reducing staff costs quickly’, has been given a central role in Scottish rail services.”

The union leader said Aslef would “not stand idly by” if Prof Docherty is to seek to cut services.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the appointment of the new chairman “will not change the fact that the Scottish Government is undermining Scotland’s railway by trying to push through ticket office hours reductions”.

Mr Lynch said: “In 2021 Prof Docherty, a former non-executive director of both ScotRail and Transport Scotland, made a blatant attempt to further a cuts agenda that would be devastating for Scotland’s railway.

“His report advocated service cuts, ticket office closures and job losses across the network.

“Scotland’s railway should be fully staffed, publicly owned, and run in the interests of the people who rely on it – not subject to managed decline.

“We need investment in services, not cuts that leave passengers worse off.”

However Prof Docherty insisted the rail sector has a “bright future”, despite having faced “significant challenges” since the Covid pandemic.

He said: “Scotland’s railway has a key role to play in supporting the economy and ensuring a fair transition to net zero.

“The sector has faced significant challenges since Covid but has a bright future.

“I look forward to leading the board of Scottish Rail Holdings in its work to ensure ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper deliver the best possible service and even greater public value in the years to come.”

Ms Hyslop said: “I am pleased to welcome Iain Docherty to chair the board of Scottish Rail Holdings.

“Iain brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the transport sector.

“I look forward to seeing the impact of his leadership of our publicly owned train operators, which are so important to people, communities and the economy in Scotland.”

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