David Stewart MSP, regional Scottish Labour member for the Highlands and Islands was appointed as Scottish Labour Shadow Transport Minister as part of the Shadow Cabinet reshuffle last month.
He is also now a member of the Parliament's Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee.
Mr Stewart said "I am delighted to have been given the post of Shadow Transport Minister as throughout my political career I have always had a keen interest in transport issues from road safety to aviation and of course to rail.
"In recent times I have campaigned strongly to see more freight moved by rail and I am keen to continue working to improve the rail network as a whole. "I will be seeking a meeting with Friends of the Far North Line in my new role as I appreciate the number of issues affecting the line over the past year in terms of cancellations and delays and want to ensure we see improvements made to the service along the length of the line."