Appalling condition of trains between Glasgow and Oban

I really have to write about the lamentable state of rolling stock on the rail route between Oban and Glasgow.

This is a vital rail route to the West Highlands for residents and visitors who support the important tourist industry. The problem has existed for a number of years as the rolling stock is, by any standards, well past its serviceable date.

Catering and a trolley service is at best sporadic. The journey is about three hours 15 minutes, one way, and on many occasions there is no catering available. Why not consider installing a vending machine on each train supplying food and drink?

Heating is very erratic and often fails. Likewise, toilet facilities appear to be frequently faulty. It clearly implies that these carriages are beyond their life expectancy. There is quite often only one toilet on the train, wholly inadequate for a three-hour-plus journey.

Passenger seating and capacity: some of the rolling stock was replaced with cast-offs from the central belt.

The seats have the comfort level of sitting on an ironing board. The cleanliness of the floor coverings and seat upholstery is woefully inadequate.

During the tourist season, trains are sometimes overcrowded and passengers have had to stand for the whole journey.

The Scottish Government seems keen to get people to swap cars for public transport so why not make funds available for significant upgrades to be undertaken in respect of replacing the existing rolling stock? If investment is not forthcoming, then people will vote with their feet and perhaps with their ballot papers.

Many people travelling between Oban and Glasgow are carrying substantial baggage but the storage facilities are inadequate.

One glimmer of improvement which appears imminent is the proposed introduction of greatly increased bike and large baggage capacity on a refurbished carriage which appears to have seating for the bike users. I look forward to see how this works in practice.

Maybe ScotRail should offer winter travellers a free personal survival kit and in summer a generous endurance discount on the ticket price to compensate for poor quality of service and experience.

Having lived in Oban most of my life, there is a great feeling that, insofar as transport infrastructure is concerned, we are treated as the poor relation and asked to effectively put up and shut up.

Rob MacCallum, Etive Gardens, Oban.