ScotRail train skips two stations leaving teenager Emma stuck five miles from her stop late at night
Craig McDonald A teenage girl was left stranded five miles from her station late at night because of ScotRail skipping stops.
Student Emma Robertson, 17, was visiting her grandparents when her train stopped miles from her station.
She wanted to travel from Glasgow Charing Cross to Cardross, Dunbartonshire, at around 9.30pm on November 24.
But when she boarded, an announcement said the train would miss both her stop and Craigendoran stations.
Emma had to get off at Helensburgh Central – five miles away.
Dutch operators Abel l io promised last month to stop trains from bypassing stations – but only at peak times.
Emma said: “There was an announcement that it was not stopping at Cardross there or at the next station either.
“It’s just no good for passengers, especially at that time of night.
“I was also worried about other passengers, some of whom might be vulnerable. What would they do?”
Emma’s g ran Veronica Ashman, 67, of Cardross, said: “I am absolutely disgusted with a firm who prioritise speeding up a train over the safety of their customers.
“My grandfather, my father and I all worked with British Rail and I can’t imagine anything like this happening on their watch.”
ScotRail say they do not offer alternative transport if the next service is within an hour of the cancellation.
Veronica said: “In days gone by there was a train waiting to go from the terminus at Helensburgh when one came in.
“It appears now there’s insuff icient rolling stock or drivers.”
A S c o t R a i l A l l i a nc e spokewoman said: “We ask that Mrs Ashman contacts us and explains the circumstances of her grand- daughter’s journey so we can investigate exactly what happened. “In any circumstances where a passenger is worried about their onward travel, we always ask that they speak to station staff or use the station help point to be contacted to our customer service centre to get more information.” Meanwhile, ScotRail boss Phil Verster has been urged to sort out overcrowding on a key route that is leaving passengers stranded at the platform. Commuters have been unable to board some peak-time services on the North Berwick to Edinburgh line because they are meet our demand to publish passenger seats at peak overcrowding figures, times something that’s done in Publish in full ScotRail’s England and Wales. performance improvement But our campaign also plan calls for the Scottish Ensure some of Abellio’s Government to: profits are reinvested in Ensure the company improving the ScotRail provide more trains and service. from childcare or to make any other arrangements.
“In the past I’ve asked Scottish ministers about this and their responses have included colourcoded timetables and passenger counting equipment, when we already know which services are overcrowded.”
According to ScotRail’s latest f igures, only 83.3 per cent of North Berwick trains arrive on time.
ScotRail said they were putting on two extra carriages on trains next year to ease the pressure on the North Berwick service.
The company also said there would be 40 per cent more seats on the line at peak times by December 2018.