MSP demands railway action
Almost half of East Kilbride trains failed to arrive on time, according to Scotrail performance figures.
And the town’s MSP Linda Fabiani is calling for more to be done to improve the service.
Annual performance statistics released by Scotrail have revealed just over 53 per cent of trains arrived on time between August and September.
Overcrowding on trains and cancellations at peak times on the East Kilbride to Glasgow Central line due to signalling issues over the past few weeks have led to further frustration for commuters.
Now Ms Fabiani has called on her colleagues in the Scottish Parliament to do more to improve the service in town.
In a letter to minister for transport Humza Yousaf she addressed issues with overcrowding and lack of conductors on the busy line.
Following this, she told the News: “The inadequacy of the single-track rail line from East Kilbride to Glasgow Central has long been a concern, with the most common complaint being the lack of carriages on peak- time trains, making the commute unbearable for many travellers.
“East Kilbride is the largest town in Scotland, and this line goes straight through the commuter belt into the city - it is simply ludicrous two carriages is the norm for a later service.
“People are being left on platforms, having to stand all the way and sometimes even leave the train early because the overcrowding is so intense that they feel ill.
“Train fares are expensive, and this is very bad customer service.
“The situation is ridiculous and nothing has changed since Scotrail told me mid-September that carriages would be added at peak times.
“I’ve raised this in Parliament with the Transport Minister and I know that he will chase this up with Scotrail through the Improvement Plan.
“East Kilbride, Clarkston, Pollockshaws all require commitments to be met and a better train service.”
A Scotrail Alliance spokesman said that 87.1 per cent of services arrived within five minutes of the target time at peak times and 93.3 per cent during off-peak.
He added: “We are working hard every single day to make Scotland’s railway better.
“With a record high level of customer satisfaction, our performance ranks amongst the best in the UK.
“However, we know we can do more.
“That is why we are looking at every part of our business to see what else we can do to deliver the best service and the best value for money for our customers.”