Sustainability is one of the buzzwords of the moment. And as we emerge from the Covid pandemic and look towards decarbonisation, there is a definite dual meaning to the term – with both financial and environmental challenges facing the railway and indeed the world at large.
Taking the financial aspect first, Scotland’s railway perhaps faces a greater challenge than elsewhere in the UK. With public health a devolved matter, Covid restrictions have generally been stricter in Scotland than in England, and as Scotland’s Railway MD Alex Hynes highlights, non-essential offices have yet to reopen.