RAIL bosses are to be asked to a meeting in Largs amid ongoing anger at the town's train service.

Largs Community Council (LCC) plans to invite ScotRail to attend one of its public meetings in the new year to discuss controversial train timetables which have resulted in longer journey times to and from Glasgow.

Those longer journeys were introduced in May and will continue when the new ScotRail timetable comes into effect next month - a service which, according to community councillor Jamie Black, is slower than in the days of steam trains.

Largs trains have been timetabled to stop at Dalry, Lochwinnoch, Howwood and Milliken Park for the last six months after ScotRail revised its Ayrshire services to concentrate all 'fast' trains in the area on the Glasgow-Ayr route.

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ScotRail launched a consultation earlier this year on its proposed timetable for the summer of 2024 - which still features much slower Largs trains despite those community concerns.

The results of that consultation have not yet been made public, but LCC members say they are still keen to bring ScotRail round the table to discuss the local disquiet at the service.

During LCC's most recent meeting, Linda Smith said: "There seems to be a lot of disquiet about the lack of carriages at peak times and the storing of trains overnight at Ayr and the lack of space."

Jamie Black said: "I think we need to invite ScotRail to a forthcoming meeting. 

"I think we should offer them the opportunity to come down and see us eye to eye and realise that people care.

"I have seen ScotRail chiefs attend previous community meetings and I think it could be beneficial."

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Patricia Perman said: "Apparently there are only three coaches for the early morning services leaving Largs for Glasgow."

Chairman Jim Phillips added: "When I go to the station in the morning to get a 7.23am train to Glasgow, there is a seven car set sitting on the opposite platform, but it is the three car set which is going to Glasgow.

"I asked the question at the customer desk, and got a glaikit look and was told 'I don't know what you mean'.

"I asked why the seven car set is just going away down to Ardrossan when it can be used for the Largs to Glasgow route.

"The 7.23am train is actually jam packed in the morning."

It's thought ScotRail is likely to be invited to attend the LCC meeting in February.

Mr Black told the News: "Further to my campaigning for a better train service for Largs, some rough and ready calculations reveal that Largs indeed has the worst service in west central Scotland.

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" We are inviting ScotRail to our meeting to discuss this.

"They must come to the table with new plans on how Largs trains can get back on track to be faster and have more capacity. "

Mr Black claims the average speed of a journey from Glasgow to Largs is just 29 miles per hour - compared with 31mph from Glasgow to Gourock, 35mph Glasgow to Ayr, 38mph Glasgow to Helensburgh, 39mph Glasgow to Wemyss Bay, 60mph Glasgow to Edinburgh, and 70mph Glasgow to Carlisle.

Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson wrote to ScotRail earlier this year asking the rail operator to review its decision to concentrate faster Ayrshire trains on the Glasgow-Ayr route.

Mr Gibson previously told the News that the reply from ScotRail explained the changes were made "to support a more reliable service" and to ensure that the timetable is able to support the temporary move of Arran's ferry services from Ardrossan to Troon.

However, there is no indication yet of when that ferry service diversion - required because of major upgrades to Ardrossan harbour to accommodate Arran's two new vessels - might take place, with both the Arran ferries and the Ardrossan works subject to significant delays and cost increases.

Mr Gibson said: "It was 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."