Greens demand company’s removal from train bid over ‘Israeli settlement link’

The Scottish Greens have demanded that a Spanish train manufacturer is excluded from a list of companies bidding for a new ScotRail contract for a suburban train fleet.

The party has accused Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, known as CAF, of being involved in activities linked to illegal Israeli settlements.

Unions including the TSSA have also called on the Scottish Government to remove CAF from the bidding process for the train contract.

Following a Holyrood debate in September 2025, a majority of MSPs backed a Green amendment calling for the Scottish and UK governments to “immediately impose a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions targeted at the state of Israel”.

The Greens called for the First Minister to intervene in the ScotRail contract issue.

Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: “Allowing CAF to be short-listed for a ScotRail contract is a clear breach of the boycott policy that the Scottish Parliament voted for.

“Campaigners are right to call on John Swinney to take action and stop Scotland from backing companies profiting from apartheid, genocide or human rights abuses.

“If a company has been named by the UN for profiteering from the repression and abuse of Palestinians, it should not be competing for public contracts in Scotland.

“If this contract is awarded to CAF then it is clear that the Scottish Government are intent on taking no action to implement the boycott and refusing to listen to trade unions and rightly outraged campaigners.”

The Scottish Government and CAF have been approached for comment.