ScotRail are set to push forward with proposals to slash ticket workplace hours at stations in Dumbarton, Alexandria and Balloch.
Final month a particular assembly of West Dunbartonshire Council was held, during which members put apart social gathering allegiances to oppose cuts.
Labour’s Douglas McAllister mentioned “a staffed station is a protected station”, while council chief Jonathan McColl of the SNP known as on Scotrail to “rip up their plans and begin once more.”
Nonetheless, final week ScotRail confirmed some alterations to their preliminary proposals – together with retaining Clydebank Station staffed – however continued to push forward with plans to chop opening hours at ticket places of work domestically.
The plans will see Alexandria Station’s reserving workplace shut at 9.45am on weekdays reasonably than 7.39pm, with comparable modifications at Balloch (which can now shut at 12.40pm reasonably than 11.55pm), Dalreoch (9am reasonably than 8.24pm) and Dumbarton Central (which can shut at 8pm reasonably than midnight).
Opening hours on Fridays and at weekends will even be lower.
At Helensburgh Central, ScotRail plan that employees will stay onsite for the present ticket workplace opening hours however they is probably not on the desk itself.
Livid MSP Jackie Baillie urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to veto the modifications when the Scottish Authorities takes management of the railways later this 12 months.
She mentioned: “In my response to the session I made, clearly the influence which these plans could have on my constituents at a time when the Scottish Authorities must be encouraging individuals to journey utilizing sustainable strategies, like trains.
“As an alternative, they need to proceed to cut back the working hours of ticket places of work domestically which can freeze individuals out of utilizing the railways. With out the experience and presence of employees at ticket places of work, passengers shall be pressured to pay much more for already costly tickets and security shall be severely compromised.
“ScotRail’s response additionally mentions strengthening staffing at vacationer and leisure journey stations but there isn't any point out of Balloch the place, as an alternative, it desires to chop working hours. That is shameful particularly after final summer time when officers from British Transport Police have been known as in to cope with anti-social behaviour right here.
“Nicola Sturgeon, whose authorities is about to take over possession of the rail service in Scotland in coming weeks, mentioned she would await the session findings earlier than any remaining choices are made on the proposals.
“I'll watch with curiosity to see what her response is and urge it to be the correct one for the individuals of Dumbarton, Alexandria, Balloch, Cardross and Helensburgh.”
Beforehand council chief Jonathan McColl mentioned: “ScotRail have to ask individuals what they want when they're considering of redesigning providers. Not simply come ahead with proposals primarily based on outdated ticket gross sales data.
“There must be a critical rethink. They need to rip up these plans and begin once more.”
And chief of the opposition, Councillor Martin Rooney, commented: “It's actually disappointing to study that ScotRail continues to be pushing forward with cuts to native practice stations particularly when the service is returning to public possession. They're primarily doing the Scottish Authorities’s soiled work for them.
“Labour councillors requisitioned a particular council assembly to permit a proper council response to be agreed however regardless of this they've pushed forward with their cuts.
“The travelling public are being let down by ScotRail and the Scottish Authorities must reverse these cuts once they take over administration and management of the service.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail’s head of buyer operations, mentioned: “The modifications we suggest to make on account of the general public session display we're listening to our clients and creating an surroundings that improves security, buyer assist, and the helpfulness of employees.
“The protection, consolation and wellbeing of our clients is a high precedence, and we'll all the time take heed to what passengers and individuals who use our stations need to say.
“We imagine this proposal takes into consideration a lot of the points we recognized as essential in our unique plan in addition to the views of the general public.
“We're heading in the right direction to ship a railway that's fashionable, protected, and dependable which can serve clients even higher sooner or later.”