UNIONS have slammed the appointment of an academic with a “cuts agenda” as the new chair of the Scottish government’s rail company.

But SNP transport secretary Fiona Hyslop said Professor Iain Docherty would bring a “wealth of knowledge and experience” to the role at Scottish Rail Holdings Limited, which owns ScotRail and the Caledonian Sleeper.

RMT general secretary Mick 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.

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

Aslef Scotland organiser Kevin Lindsay warned: “If he still thinks that rail services need to be reformed with staff cuts and workers suffering as a result then let me be clear — we will not stand idly by.”

Prof Docherty insisted rail had a “bright future” and said he looked forward to delivering “even greater public value in the years to come.”