Largs MSP Kenneth Gibson calls for faster trains to Glasgow

The call comes after the rail operator published a draft timetable for services between Ayrshire and Glasgow from June 2024.

In the draft - on which public comments are currently being sought - trains to and from Largs are scheduled to call at all stations between Largs and Paisley Gilmour Street, with express services limited to the Glasgow-Ayr route.

That's the same as in the current timetable - which was introduced in May, and saw an end to the faster Largs trains which operated in previous years.

Mr Gibson says he is "disappointed" with the proposed timetable, and has called for the express services to be more evenly spread.

Mr Gibson said: "As people will know, the ScotRail timetable was changed in May 2023, which benefitted many passengers in Ayrshire but increased journey time for North Coast constituents from West Kilbride, Fairlie and Largs.

"As you can imagine I was contacted by numerous constituents about this, which is why I wrote to ScotRail, asking them to  reconsider any decision that would mean reduced train frequency or increased journey time between North Ayrshire and Glasgow."

Mr Gibson shared the response he received from Ewan Tait, ScotRail's head of business development, after the last timetable change in May.

At the time Mr Tait told him: “The Greater Glasgow area has the most mature rail market in Scotland and our pre-pandemic transport mode share was greater than in other regions.

"The review of historical demand identified that off peak services were poorly utilised across most of the Strathclyde network.

"Once the impact of the pandemic on commuting and leisure travel behaviours were better understood, more effective timetables which were attractive to customers could be designed.  

Busy Largs Station scene (Image: Newsquest)

“However, for our upcoming May 2023 timetable, we identified the need to make some changes to the timetable help to support a more reliable service in Ayrshire during this interim period.

"This change includes removing station calls at Dalry, Glengarnock, Lochwinnoch, Howwood, and Milliken Park from services to Ayr and adding them to services to Largs and Ardrossan, reducing the journey time between Glasgow and Ayr, and ensuring that the timetable can support the temporary move of Arran ferry services from Ardrossan to Troon.”

Following the publication of the new draft timetable for next year, Mr Gibson said: "It was also emphasised that this timetable was very much a starting point and that future timetables for services in Ayrshire would take into account the hoped growth in passenger numbers.

"I am therefore 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."

The consultation on the new draft timetable can be found, and views submitted, at https://www.scotrail.co.uk/ayrshire-and-inverclyde-timetable-consultation.

Last week, Largs community councillor Jamie Black complained that the current and proposed timetables left the town with slower services to and from Glasgow than in the days of steam trains, which were withdrawn in the early 1960s.

Jamie Black has thanked MSP Kenneth Gibson for getting involved (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Black has thanked Mr Gibson for his latest intervention, telling him: "Thank you for your response and sharing the feedback. The idea that growth can be attributed to a worse service beggars belief.

"I will also raise this with our Community Council and as suggested encourage those affected to respond.

"Thank you again and hopefully this will not be the end of the matter in our shared goal of better transport for the area."