A ROW over new high speed trains could go to court, the SNP transport minister has said.
Humza Yousaf told MSPs that ScotRail and Hitachi may well turn to the law after problems emerged with the curved windscreens on the Japanese firm’s Class 385 electric trains.
Drivers have reported dangerous multiple reflections on test runs, delaying the trains’ start on the Glasgow-Edinburgh route and forcing ScotRail to source replacements.
Mr Yousaf said Nicola Sturgeon had personally intervened and received repeated apologies from Hitachi, which is making the 46 three-car and 24 four-car sets in north east England.
He said the government had told the Dutch HQ of franchise holder Abellio “very strongly” that it mus put back-up plans in place to avoid services being disrupted.
He said Hitachi’s performance was “not acceptable” and predicted ScotRail would put the matter “in the hands of lawyers” seek compensation for breaches of contract.
He said: “These things will drag on and be settled by lawyers or if it has to go to courts, it’ll be settled by courts.”
However that was a matter between ScotRail and Hitachi to fix, not the government.
Mr Yousaf also said he was “not happy” the cost of improving the Glasgow-Edinburgh route to cut journey times to 42 minutes had risen from £742m to £858m.
The minister said: “We are pushing Hitachi, not just myself, but from the First Minister herself intervening on a number of occasions, to get the message across that we expect them to deliver on their promises."
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