Tracks of our tears
A ScotRail driver sped past five stations as he tried to make up lost time on a delayed service.
The train bypassed busy Argyle Street and four other scheduled stops – despite passengers wanting to get off and on.
ScotRail said this was “not a common” occurrence. But the Monday morning incident was just one of many highlighted by commuters in the past week.
said: “Playing at sardines on a three carriage peak time Glasgow to Edinburgh train. You should be so proud ScotRail.”
tweeted a photo of commuters unable to get on a train due to overcrowding on Thursday.
She said: “No space at Uphall. I wasn’t expecting to get a seat, but not to get on the train at all?”
And said: “ScotRail – do you not have an over-crowding policy on trains? It doesn’t feel safe when everyone is packed in like sardines.”
Irate commuters have also reported farcical scenes after hundreds were forced to queue after getting off their train at Scotland’s busiest station.
Passengers claimed queues regularly build up at Glasgow Central due to barriers designed to prevent fare dodging.
It means all passengers require a ticket to exit the station.
Those who board at unmanned stations have to get their ticket from a conductor onboard the train. But if no conductor is available, the queues form as passengers buy their ticket after disembarking.
One commuter said: “People are just fed up. Whether the conductor comes to you on the train is often a hit or a miss.
“Sometimes if it’s a really packed carriage they just can’t get through the number of passengers onboard.
“It means you need to buy a ticket on the platform to get through the station barriers. And that means a massive queue on the platform. People aren’t trying to fare dodge – you can’t get out of the station without a ticket, so everyone knows you need one.
“It happens regularly and it’s a shambles.”
Fiona MacDougall Laurie Johnson Grant Thoms