UPDATE: The restored train will now travel on the Borders Railway as planned.
The historic Flying Scotsman steam locomotive will not travel from Edinburgh to Tweedbank or cross the Forth Bridge as originally planned during a visit to Scotland this weekend.Responding to news that Network Rail GB changed the schedule for the Flying Scotsman due to lack of assessment on the lines, Transport Minister, Derek Mackay said:
“This announcement is hugely disappointing and represents appalling incompetence by Network Rail GB.
“I will be ensuring this mishandling of an application is fully investigated. I believe the rail alliance in Scotland is working well, and this debacle at Network Rail GB HQ is further reason to devolve more functions to Scotland where we take seriously the economic benefits of rail in a way that seems to have escaped Network Rail GB HQ. I will be raising this at the most senior levels.
“The enthusiasm with which the return of the Flying Scotsman was greeted by thousands of people, not only in Scotland but around the UK, was evident in the huge amount of interest there was in seeing this iconic piece of history returning to Scotland.
“This is not only a disappointment for the residents of Fife, Midlothian and the Borders, who will be hit economically by the cancellation of this long awaited and landmark event, but who have also been let down by the farcical nature of how it was allowed to happen.”
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