RAIL union leaders have welcomed support for their campaign to defend the integrity of Network Rail and bring ScotRail into permanent public ownership.

Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) general secretary Manuel Cortes thanked delegates at the 124th STUC Congress for backing the union’s motion on the future of Scotland’s rail services. 

The union argued that breaking up Network Rail would leave its parts ripe for privatisation and impose extra costs on Scottish taxpayers as purchasing power gained through economies of scale would be lost.

The STUC will now write to Scotland’s Transport Secretary backing the calls. 

Mr Cortes said: “Network Rail in Scotland is already devolved, able to make operating decisions suitable for the country. 

“Breaking it up won’t bring any benefit to Scottish taxpayers or passengers. It will merely make it easier to sell off into the private sector.

“There has been no firm commitment or plan for ScotRail to be brought into public ownership permanently and, make no mistake, the public sector is where ScotRail belongs.”