An historic railway works in Glasgow that closed after SNP ministers refused to nationalise it could still be saved from "industrial vandalism", a city MSP has said.
The St Rollox maintenance depot in Springburn - known locally as The Caley - had serviced trains for more than 160 years when it was shut by its German parent company in 2019.
Rail unions fought a high-profile campaign to keep the 16-acre site open but the Scottish Government rejected calls for it to be brought back under state ownership.
The redundant buildings will now considered for listing by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) after a request was made by Paul Sweeney.
The Labour MSP is encouraging members of the public to take part in a consultation which will seek views on whether St Rollox should be recognised for its historical importance.
He said: "The premature closure of the St Rollox railway works in Springburn was an act of industrial vandalism that should never have taken place.
"The Scottish Government’s refusal to intervene and save the site and associated jobs was shameful, but this consultation provides an opportunity to ensure that the site is protected in the future.
"The site is not only important to Scotland’s history and heritage, but to our industrial future.
"In my engagement with the Scottish Government, it has become clear that the closure of the Caley has had a detrimental impact on the ongoing maintenance of Scotland’s rolling stock with maintenance contracts being awarded further afield, in many instances at English yards."
Sweeney added: "When the site was scheduled for closure, the Scottish Government refused to intervene.
"We cannot allow that to happen again, and the consultation provides an excellent opportunity to highlight why the site is so important historically and culturally, but also how it can play a part in our shared future.
"Personally, I continue to believe that the site can still play in reviving Scotland’s railway engineering and manufacturing industry.
"However, the first step is to ensure that listed status is achieved, and I am delighted my application for listed status is now being consulted on by Historic Environment Scotland.”
It was reported last year the St Rollox site was bought by a company controlled by entrepreneur David Mousdale, the founder of the Optical Express chain.
A recent HES inspection of the site noted: "There are no known development proposals.
"The current owner has plans to develop the site as a manufacturing plant for a range of products and possibly also to house a collection of vintage cars."
The St Rollox depot was opened in 1856 but changed hands several times after being privatised in 1995.
It was sold to a real estate group in 2002 and leased back for rail work before control eventually passed to Gemini rail, which announced its closure in 2019.
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