NICOLA STURGEON came under renewed pressure to nationalise Scotland’s flagship railway works today, as the consultation on its closure draws to an end.

The St Rollox depot in Springburn, Glasgow, was opened 160 years ago by the Caledonian Railway and lately has been responsible for repairs and overhaul of much of ScotRail’s fleet.

But the site’s owner, the German-owned Gemini Rail Group, has said it will no longer be profitable once old trains are withdrawn – a claim disputed by rail unions.

New ScotRail rolling stock will be repaired by manufacturers under controversial “design, maintain, build” contracts.

At First Minister’s Questions today, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “Time is running out to save this critical part of Scotland’s railway infrastructure and these 200 highly skilled jobs.

“People’s livelihoods and a national transport asset are at stake here – the First Minister should step in and take the railway works into public control.”

Mr Leonard said he had received no response to a letter he sent to First Minister Ms Sturgeon on February 3 calling for government intervention to save St Rollox.

Ms Sturgeon insisted her government had a “good record, an interventionist record, when it comes to saving industrial jobs across the country.”

She called for the closure consultation period, which is due to end early next week, to be extended.

“As we have done at Prestwick, as we have done in a range of other cases, we will always work in the best interests of workers and jobs across the country,” she added.