A COMMISSION of world-class experts will be asked to lead a groundbreaking review into how Scotland’s railways could be renationalised using the powers Holyrood already has.
Academics, legal, rail and public sector procurement experts will be invited to build a "watertight, business case for public ownership" of rail under the initiative launched by a transport union.
The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) said the research would lead to the publication of a "people's blueprint" for a nationalised Scottish train network, that will be placed before ministers.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said it would challenge the Scottish Government's claim that it does not hold enough powers to return rail to the public sector.
Cortes said: "Our union is serious about the future of Scotland's railways.
"That's why I want us to be able to make our own watertight, business case for public ownership of ScotRail which means commissioning our own independent research."
Cortes added, "We are in early-stage discussions with world-class public procurement experts, some here in Scotland, and we will report further in due course. We will press ahead with a people's blueprint for a Scottish people's railway."
A timetable for the review has yet to be agreed.
The probe is expected to follow a similar approach to the RMT rail union, which last year commissioned a report on CalMac which concluded that there was an overwhelming case for keeping ferries in the public sector.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Humza Yousaf restated an SNP pledge to ensure a non-profit organisation is in position to bid for the rail contract whenever it next comes up for renewal.
Yousaf's spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government doesn’t have the powers to renationalise the railways, we did ask for additional powers during the Smith Commission but this was blocked by other parties at the time.
“The Scottish Government is making good on its manifesto commitment to enable a public sector bidder to compete for a future rail franchise, indeed TSSA is on the reference panel, established by the Minister, which is actively considering how to take forward that issue.”
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