Worst ever rail service

Dear Editor, As a long-term train passenger I can honestly say I can’t remember a time when the rail service was this bad.

Every morning I get the train at Airdrie station to go into Glasgow Queen Street and I can count on one hand the amount of times my train has been on time in the last month.

I know ScotRail takes a bit of a bashing from a lot of people – and that its staff don’t always have an easy job – but it really is becoming beyond a joke.

If their trains aren’t late or cancelled then they are sending three-carriage trains at peak times when the most passengers will be needing to travel.

By the time my train reaches Blairhill it is pretty much already standing room only and while I’m normally lucky enough to get a seat, I really sympathise with those who don’t.

The trains home at tea-time aren’t quite as bad, although it’s rare they don’t rock up at least five minutes late as well.

What is even more worrying is that, as of me writing this letter, we haven’t had a drop of snow or coating of ice yet.

If the trains are this bad now, then heaven help us when the winter starts to bite.

When you see how so many other countries – many with a lot worse weather than we get – cope with inclement conditions and run smooth public transport it makes our struggles even more galling.

Not that it will stop ScotRail from putting up the ticket prices once again in January.

Sadly they can pretty much charge what they want because they know a lot of people have to pay it as they have no choice because it’s their only route to and from work, school, college or university.

I really think it’s time for the Scottish Government to intervene and enforce major changes at ScotRail to benefit frustrated passengers. Heather Wilkins, Cairnhill