Commenting on the news that the Department for Transport has scrapped the West Coast Main Line deal, Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said:
'The fact that the Department for Transport has blundered on this scale is simply not good enough and the cost both to the public purse and to the private sector bidders is unacceptable. It is essential that the Department for Transport acts decisively to ensure stability in the provision of West Coast Main Line services and to ensure that the monumental mistakes made during this tendering process are never repeated.
'Scottish businesses need confidence that the civil servants responsible for developing and assessing bids have the professional knowledge and experience to do so properly. Equally we need to know that, as we enter the winter period, Scotland's cross border rail connectivity with England will be secure and reliable.
'With the ScotRail franchise approaching retendering, we also need assurances regarding its future and how the actions of the UK Department for Transport will affect the handling of this franchise renewal.
'Connectivity is essential for Scottish business and we need clarity from Government on this issue as a matter of urgency.'
