ScotRail are set to push ahead with proposals to slash ticket office hours at stations in Dumbarton, Alexandria and Balloch.
Last month a special meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council was held, in which members put aside party allegiances to oppose cuts.
Labour’s Douglas McAllister said “a staffed station is a safe station”, whilst council leader Jonathan McColl of the SNP called on Scotrail to “rip up their plans and start again.”
However, last week ScotRail confirmed some alterations to their initial proposals – including keeping Clydebank Station staffed – but continued to push ahead with plans to cut opening hours at ticket offices locally.
The plans will see Alexandria Station’s booking office close at 9.45am on weekdays rather than 7.39pm, with similar changes at Balloch (which will now close at 12.40pm rather than 11.55pm), Dalreoch (9am rather than 8.24pm) and Dumbarton Central (which will close at 8pm rather than midnight).
Opening hours on Fridays and at weekends will also be cut.
At Helensburgh Central, ScotRail plan that staff will remain onsite for the current ticket office opening hours but they may not be at the desk itself.
Furious MSP Jackie Baillie urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to veto the changes when the Scottish Government takes control of the railways later this year.
She said: “In my response to the consultation I made, clearly the impact which these plans will have on my constituents at a time when the Scottish Government should be encouraging people to travel using sustainable methods, like trains.
“Instead, they want to continue to reduce the operating hours of ticket offices locally which will freeze people out of using the railways. Without the expertise and presence of staff at ticket offices, passengers will be forced to pay even more for already expensive tickets and safety will be severely compromised.
“ScotRail’s response also mentions strengthening staffing at tourist and leisure travel stations yet there is no mention of Balloch where, instead, it wants to cut operating hours. This is shameful especially after last summer when officers from British Transport Police were called in to deal with anti-social behaviour here.
“Nicola Sturgeon, whose government is set to take over ownership of the rail service in Scotland in coming weeks, said she would await the consultation findings before any final decisions are made on the proposals.
“I will watch with interest to see what her response is and urge it to be the right one for the people of Dumbarton, Alexandria, Balloch, Cardross and Helensburgh.”
Previously council leader Jonathan McColl said: “ScotRail need to ask people what they need when they are thinking of redesigning services. Not just come forward with proposals based on outdated ticket sales information.
“There needs to be a serious rethink. They should rip up these plans and start again.”
And leader of the opposition, Councillor Martin Rooney, commented: “It is really disappointing to learn that ScotRail is still pushing ahead with cuts to local train stations especially when the service is returning to public ownership. They are essentially doing the Scottish Government’s dirty work for them.
“Labour councillors requisitioned a special council meeting to allow a formal council response to be agreed but despite this they have pushed ahead with their cuts.
“The travelling public are being let down by ScotRail and the Scottish Government needs to reverse these cuts when they take over management and control of the service.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s head of customer operations, said: “The changes we propose to make as a result of the public consultation demonstrate we are listening to our customers and creating an environment that improves safety, customer support, and the helpfulness of staff.
“The safety, comfort and wellbeing of our customers is a top priority, and we will always listen to what passengers and people who use our stations have to say.
“We believe this proposal takes into account most of the issues we identified as important in our original plan as well as the views of the public.
“We are on course to deliver a railway that is modern, safe, and reliable which will serve customers even better in the future.”
