Largs rail passengers will continue to face longer journey times as a result of additional train stops added to the service - with one community councillor musing that steam trains were quicker to Glasgow.
Passengers continue to face added station calls at Dalry, Lochwinnoch, Howwood and Milliken Park to their services.
Hopes of a possible half hourly service being introduced between Largs and Glasgow have not materalised in the forthcoming timetable changes, but Scotrail is looking at "additional peak services between Largs and Glasgow".
Jamie Black, a community councillor, has written to both Largs MSP Kenneth Gibson, and West of Scotland MSP Katy Clark, regarding the situation.
He said: "Largs is being completely ignored and people living in Largs are, yet again, being treated with contempt by Scotrail, by prioritising passengers for Ayr, increasing the number of limited stop trains from Ayr throughout the day, whilst not only are journey times from Largs excessive for the route, but the timings are entirely unsuitable for commuters.
"I feel that our MSPs should be championing this issue, and demanding from Scotrail improvements, to at the very least, get back to sub-one hour commute times to Glasgow.
"Scotrail are turning the demise of the Largs route into a self fulfilling prophecy - I do not use the Largs train any more - the timings are entirely unsuitable for commuting and the end-to-end journey time is far too long compared both to the car, and to driving to Drumfrochar and taking the train from there (I do both).
"We deserve better in Largs. We will not encourage new people to come and live and work in and from Largs if we have a timetable that is worse than the days of steam."
The frustrations come as ScotRail is calling on the public to give their views on new timetable proposals for Ayrshire and Inverclyde.
The rail operator is seeking feedback through a six-week consultation running until Monday, November 20, 2023.
The proposed timetable, scheduled for introduction in June 2024, builds on the Ayrshire timetable introduced in May 2023 and provides two limited stop services between Ayr and Glasgow all day, including the evenings.
Services to Largs and Ardrossan continue to call at most stations on the route and additional services operate in the evening.
This summer, ScotRail carried more than 30 per cent leisure travellers in Ayrshire than in the same period 2022.
The June 2024 timetable will provide the following service for customers in Ayrshire:
Two limited stop services per hour between Ayr and Glasgow all day, including the evenings.
Additional peak services between Ayr and Glasgow.
One local service per hour between Largs and Glasgow all day, including the evenings.
One local service per hour between Ardrossan Harbour and Glasgow all day, including the evenings.
Additional peak services between Largs, Ardrossan, and Glasgow.
This timetable will see the journey time for customers travelling from Ayr to Glasgow reduce compared to the 2022 timetable as the majority of services will operate non-stop between Kilwinning and Johnstone, however, customers travelling from Largs and Ardrossan to Glasgow will see their journey time increase because of added station calls at Dalry, Lochwinnoch, Howwood, and Milliken Park to these services.
Scott Prentice, ScotRail head of business development, said: "We believe these changes will provide customers across the region with a better rail service and will encourage more people to use public transport and travel sustainably.
"We're keen to hear what the communities we serve think about our plans. Every response we get will help us better understand what our customers need from their railway.
"These proposals are not the end point, we see them as an important step forward on our journey to deliver the best service we can. The timetable will continue to change in response to how current and future customers use the railway."
The public can have their say at: www.scotrail.co.uk/ayrshire-and-inverclyde-timetable-consultation.
Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson said: "I am disappointed that the proposed timetable, scheduled for introduction in June 2024, does not change this and leaves my constituents in the North Coast and Three Towns with slower services compared to express services from South Ayrshire, which are more heavily subsidised.
"I have therefore contacted ScotRail again, asking that fast services be evenly spread between Largs and Ayr so that people in North Ayrshire can equally benefit from quick connections to and from Glasgow, while passengers in Dalry and Glengarnock retain the same frequency of service they currently do.
"In the meantime, I encourage all my constituents to have their say in the consultation."
Labour MSP for West Scotland Katy Clark said: "
“I am concerned that ScotRail’s proposed Ayrshire timetable will leave Largs commuters with an ineffective and inferior service to that benefitting other communities in the region”.
“We have already seen ScotRail make cut backs to services in Largs with the May 2023 timetable seeing an end to the 7.42am service to Glasgow. The new proposed timetable leaves Largs with just one service an hour to Glasgow while proposing to expand the services available to commuters from Ayr, including more limited stop services”.
“This is unfair to commuters and residents in Largs who will continue to have to rely on an hourly service which takes around 65 minutes to reach Glasgow”.
“I have raised the need for a better rail service directly with Ministers before and I will continue to make this case to the Scottish Government and ScotRail”.
The public consultation can be found here: https://www.scotrail.co.uk/ayrshire-and-inverclyde-timetable-consultation
Steam train picture - Ian Dalgleish
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