A COMMITMENT by InterCity to show a profit is behind a controversial
decision to end its London to Stirling Motorail service.
The withdrawal of the summer service, described yesterday as a major
blow for tourism in the Stirling area, comes nearly a year after
InterCity lost its Government subsidy.
Under a special corporate plan, its aim is now to turn what was a loss
of #100m into a profitable enterprise by 1990.
A spokesman for ScotRail confirmed the service, which ran from May to
October, three days a week, was to be withdrawn for commercial reasons.
''InterCity receives no Government subsidy and the Stirling service
did not justify the heavy costs involved in a 'dedicated' service,'' he
added.
Attacking the withdrawal, Councillor John Hendry, convener of Stirling
District Council and chairman of the local tourist board, said yesterday
the decision had been taken without consulting the council, local
tourist board, or business community, and that the council had been
given no advance warning.
The tourist board, he added, was now left with 150,000 recently
printed copies of its main brochure which advertise a service that will
not exist.
Mr Hendry, who is to seek a meeting with ScotRail on the matter, and
is to ask local Conservative MP Mr Michael Forsyth to intervene, also
claimed that when the west of England to Stirling Motorail service was
withdrawn five years ago, British Rail gave assurances about the
long-term future of the remaining London route.
''Despite all the assurances given when the council fought to save the
Motorail service in 1984, British Rail have not even had the courtesy to
inform us of their decision.''
Mr James Fraser, director of the Loch Lomond, Stirling, and Trossachs
Tourist Board, said yesterday the Motorail service had given the area an
edge over many other tourist destinations, and this would now be lost.
Many traders and hoteliers would be angry over the decision, he claimed.
''It's obvious they took the decision to close it months ago, yet they
have never consulted us or even informed us.''
ScotRail said the decision to withdraw the service had been notified
to the Transport Users' Consultative Committee for Scotland at the end
of last year.
It added that a new, daily, all the year around, Motorail service
would be introduced between Edinburgh and London, while InterCity would
continue to operate the overnight services between Aberdeen, Edinburgh,
Inverness and London, and the Edinburgh-Bristol service.
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