ScotRail has named one of its HSTs after Gordon Aikman, a Motor Neurone Disease Scotland Campaigner.

The naming is in tribute to Gordon, who raised more than £500,000 in three years to help find a cure for the disease, which sadly took his life in February 2017.

Gordon founded the ‘Gordon’s Fightback’ campaign and convinced Nicola Sturgeon to double the number of MND nurses in Scotland and fund them through the NHS.

The naming of the Inter7city HST is another mark in the partnership between ScotRail and MND Scotland, which was formed in April 2017, two months after Gordon’s death.

Gordon was a Director of Research for the Better Together campaign and was just 29 when he was diagnosed with MND in 2014.

A year later, Gordon was awarded a British Empire Medal for his efforts to find a cure for the terminal illness.

So far, more than £600,000 has been pledged in his name.

To support Gordon’s Fightback campaign, please visit the JustGiving page.

Alex Hynes, Scotland’s Railway Managing Director, said: “Gordon’s legacy is outstanding, uplifting, and impressive, inspiring our partnership with MND Scotland.

“The way Gordon continued to campaign to raise awareness about this disease while fighting against it, is a lesson in courage, perseverance, and human endeavour.

“We are proud to be naming one of our iconic Inter7City high speed trains in his honour and look forward to the day when a cure is found for this truly terrible disease.”

Gordon’s husband, Joe Pike, said: “Gordon would be proud to see how far we have come in the fight against MND. And much of this is due to the incredible backing of supporters like ScotRail, its staff and customers.

“With the launch of the UK’s biggest MND clinical drug trial in a generation, almost everyone with the disease in Scotland now has access to a drug trial.

“Gordon was obsessed with research because it provides hope. It means future generations may not have to go through the pain he did, and have their lives cut short by this devastating condition.”

Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Interim Chief Executive, said: “In the face of a devastating diagnosis, Gordon turned his grief into a drive to fight for the rights of others living with MND and to fund a cure. His legacy will be remembered, not only here, but in the hearts of everyone he inspired.

“This plaque is a tribute to everything Gordon achieved in the short time he had left, and we are very grateful to all ScotRail staff and customers who have continued to support our movement to end MND.”

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