Caledonian Sleeper contract: FOI release

Information requested

1. Did the decision to take Caledonian Sleeper back under Government control incur any compensation payments or further contractual payments to Serco?
2. If yes to Q1, how much has been to date and are any future payments planned?
3. Is the rolling stock for the Caledonian Sleeper leased from Serco or a third party?
4. Will the lease for the Caledonian Sleeper’s offices in London and Inverness be taken on by Transport Scotland?

Response

For question 1 of your request:

The Serco Caledonian Sleeper put forward a re-basing option to Scottish Ministers. This option was not taken forward and a termination date was given. No compensation was required for termination of contract and none was paid.

With the Temporary Measurements Agreement ending at the time of transfer on the 25th June 2023, no further support is required, therefore no contractual payments have been incurred from this date.

Whilst no further payments are being made to Serco Caledonian Sleeper Ltd, for the sake of accuracy, you might wish to know that the only payments which will continue to be made are to Serco Group company. These are for the provision of back office services under the Transitional Services Agreement in order to meet the Scottish Minister’s’ legal obligation to maintain provision of Sleeper rail services.

For question 2 of your request:

see answer to question 1 above.

Regarding the abovementioned payments to Serco Group – they fall out of scope of your enquiry. Nonetheless contracts between Scottish Ministers and Serco Group fall under commercial sensitivity and we wouldn’t be able to release the information under Section 33(1)(b) FOISA in any case.

For question 3 of your request:

Rolling stock used to operate the Caledonian Sleeper services is leased from a Third party.

For question 4 of your request:

All premises leases transferred over to the new public operator, Caledonian Sleeper Services Ltd and will be managed by them.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.