The scheme was welcomed by Nick Brooks, Secretary General of the AllRail alliance of New Entrants to the passenger market. He said it ‘is a move in the right direction, because it is a non-discriminatory development that treats all operators the same way, helping new services with high up-front investment costs to shoulder the burden in the ramp-up period’.

ALLRAIL remarks how the Scottish government cancelled competitive tendering among public and private operators and reverted to a state-owned operator with a directly awarded exclusive contract subsidised by the Scottish taxpayer….

But ticket prices have risen at more than double the rate of inflation. Hundreds of services were cut as part of a ‘temporary’ timetable that lasted four months. No new trains have been ordered, leaving Scotland with one of Europe’s oldest and most polluting rail fleets. Punctuality has worsened compared to the previous competitively tendered service.

Commenting on Gemini’s announcement, the ALLRAIL alliance of new entrants the passenger market said it "welcomes all newcomers — they will bring more choice and more trains to a market that is chronically under served."