Rail union: ‘No-one wants BTP/Police Scotland merger’

Rail staff have hit out at plans to merge British Transport Police (BTP) with a Police Scotland they described as “not fit to take it over”.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) claims combining the two forces, as tabled by MSPs, will seriously endanger cross-border rail safety.

The organisation lends its voice to staunch criticism from BTP and the BTP Federation, which have accused the SNP Government of trying to fix a system that is not broken.

Now Manuel Cortes, General Secretary for the TSSA, has called for the plans to be scrapped entirely.

Mr Cortes said: “No-one involved in the rail industry wants this merger. The BTP don’t want it, the BTP Federation don’t want it, rail unions don’t want it and rail company bosses need to come clean with the public, because they are said not to be in favour of it either.

“UK cross-border rail safety is way too important to be reduced to a devolution issue. Scottish Labour don’t want it, Scottish Tories don’t want it.

“The drivers behind it are the SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, her Justice Minister Michael Matheson and her Transport Minister Humza Yousaf.”

Powers introduced under the Railway Policing (Scotland) Bill, published in the Scottish Parliament last month, will allow Police Scotland officers to enter specified railway properties without a warrant.

The Bill also enables the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) to enter special agreements with railway operators to decide on policing arrangements.

The plans have been coldly met by BTP officers who raised concerns last year that the merger could “dilute” specialist skills and impact on quality of service.

Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, of Police Scotland, admitted that the project would be “massively complicated” but said the challenges faced would not be “insurmountable”.

However, the TSSA pointed to Police Scotland’s ailing finances as proof that it is unsuitable to merge with BTP.

Police Scotland faces a £188 million funding gap by 2020/21 and an inspection recently found that “urgent work” is needed to improve financial transparency.

Auditor General for Scotland Caroline Gardner also condemned the SPA’s “weak” financial leadership as she reported on its failings for the third consecutive year.

Mr Cortes said: “The BTP is a highly regarded, super-efficient, well-embedded cross-border service which needs absolutely no SNP fixing.

“It certainly doesn’t need merging into the troubled Police Scotland who simply are not fit to take it over.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “As Police Scotland have made clear, specialist railway policing expertise and capacity will be maintained and protected within the broader structure of Police Scotland, with improved access to wider support facilities and specialist equipment.

“Devolution of BTP was recommended by the Smith Commission, reached through cross-party agreement and integration will also ensure railway policing is fully accountable to the Scottish Parliament.”