Caledonian Sleeper Contract

That the Parliament notes that the Scottish Government has announced that the Serco Caledonian Sleeper franchise will terminate in June 2023; understands that it has not yet been confirmed how the service will be operated after the contract comes to an end; notes the view that reintegrating the Caledonian Sleeper with ScotRail in public ownership will provide the best value for money and service for Scotland’s passengers; further notes reports of the publication of Transport Scotland documents indicating that Operator of Last Resort (OLR) contingency plans to bring the Caledonian Sleeper into public ownership would take just 12 weeks; understands that Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd had its current franchise support arrangements extended through a Temporary Measures Agreement, and was not considered to be in a stable financial position by the Scottish Government; further understands from reports that private operator, Serco Caledonian Sleepers Ltd, is estimated likely to have received in the region of £2 million in public money under its COVID-19 Emergency Measures Agreements; considers that the Scottish Government has not confirmed the full sum Serco will receive in fees under the Temporary Measures Agreement; notes the view that all fees paid out to Serco should instead be reinvested in improving the network, including in the West of Scotland region, and notes calls on the Scottish Government to take immediate steps to integrate Caledonian Sleeper into the publicly-owned ScotRail franchise.