Saved: new dawn for the sleeper

SCOTLAND’S cross-Border sleeper train network has been saved, after SNP ministers promised to match a £50 million offer from the Westminster government for the under-threat service.

The pledge from SNP transport minister Keith Brown comes just weeks after a consultation suggested that Scottish Government’s funding to replace the Caledonian Sleeper fleet, which is coming to the end of its life, could be withdrawn.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Alex Johnstone said that yesterday’s decision announced by Mr Brown showed the SNP had had its “hand forced” by the promise from Chancellor George Osborne for £50m for the scheme in his autumn statement.

It is understood that the Chancellor’s funding offer, which also helps pay for improvements to trains, would have been withdrawn if a deal between ministers in Edinburgh and London was not reached before the end of the year.

UK Chief Treasury Minister Danny Alexander said the deal between the Holyrood and Westminster governments showed the two administrations could now “work together” to deliver the replacement of the sleeper, which provides two services each night, except Saturdays, between Scotland and London.

Mr Alexander said political co-operation on initiatives such as the sleeper service, which connects Inverness, Aberdeen, Fort William, Glasgow and Edinburgh with London, made Scotland stronger.

“I’m glad to see that the Scottish Government are willing to match the funding and priority which the UK government has given to cross-Border services, following the £50m investment announced in the autumn statement,” he said. “This shows that Scotland is stronger when its two governments work together within the United Kingdom.”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the Chancellor’s pledge had saved the service and the SNP government had been forced to “follow the lead” of Mr Osborne.

She said: “Now that the rolling stock will be substantially upgraded, I hope Transport Scotland and the SNP will reject any suggestions to downgrade or scrap sleeper services.”

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Jim Hume described Mr Brown’s promise for funding for the sleeper replacement and plans for train improvement as “a welcome U-turn from the SNP”.

Labour’s capital investment spokesman Richard Baker said the SNP had “seen sense” after its initial “controversial consultation that proposed cutting the sleeper service”.

But Mr Brown dismissed the claims as “nonsense” and said the SNP government was already committed to replacing the sleeper, despite an option in a consultation on the future of Scotland’s train services to cut funding for the service.

The SNP minister said it had always been the intention to financially back the sleeper.

He said: “The Scottish Government provides significant support for the Caledonian sleepers through the existing ScotRail franchise and it was always our intention to ensure a continuing and improving service for passengers beyond 2014.

“On the day of the autumn statement, we welcomed the Treasury’s offer of additional resources to improve Scotland’s sleeper services – we have submitted our proposals that will see us invest, as a minimum, £50m to ensure that the Caledonian sleepers are enhanced to offer better facilities and a more responsive service to passenger needs, and the Treasury must stick to its promise.”

Mr Johnstone said the Chancellor had “significantly outflanked” the Scottish Government on the issue, as he attacked SNP ministers for making “mischief” with Westminster over a series of spats over the UK’s funding for Scotland.