HAVING taken the time to read the proposed new timetable for the Inverclyde train lines, I have to say I am deeply disappointed.

Like many people I was encouraged by the news in the Telegraph that fast trains are to return to the Gourock line and that Wemyss Bay is to have a second day time train per hour.

However, on closer inspection these proposals are not as good as the spin coming from ScotRail.

Firstly, the Gourock line will remain with just two trains per hour, down from having three per hour for decades.

This represents a cut in service based on the pre-pandemic timetable.

For ScotRail, or the SNP's Stuart McMillan, to claim otherwise is just completely dishonest. The Gourock line will have one less train per hour going forward.

Perhaps many people can live with this cutback given that the Wemyss Bay line now has a second service.

It is a bit like robbing Peter to pay Paul but I accept that resources are finite. However, there are a number of very strange anomalies in the new proposals that do need to be addressed.

Firstly, let's imagine someone uses the Wemyss Bay line to travel to work in Hillington.

That person is able to get to work during the day as every daytime service stops at all stops.

However, they wouldn't be able to get home from work if working a back shift as every Glasgow to Wemyss Bay evening service reverts to a limited stop, fast service in the evening.

This makes no sense. People working back shifts would not be able to travel to work at the Hillington Industrial Estate.

Let's also the take the case of a person from Greenock travelling to work in Hillington, as many local people already do.

They can no longer get to work as every single day time train from Gourock to Glasgow is a fast, limited stop service. They can get home though, as the evening services are all slow trains. Again, what a ridiculous situation for commuters! This just doesn't make sense.

Surely if ScotRail, or the Scottish Government had an ounce of common sense, they would make it one fast service and one slow service per hour from Gourock to Glasgow? It would therefore make sense to make one of the Wemyss Bay services slow per hour, and one a fast service per hour. I suspect this would be the solution that pleases most train users in Inverclyde.

Another concern I have is that every Gourock to Glasgow train will now call at Bogston. It is a very quiet station and this seems to be a totally pointless gesture. I was also very disappointed to read that ScotRail have scrapped the 2250 fast service from Glasgow to Gourock. This service is well used by people going home to Bishopton, Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock after social occasions in Glasgow. It was great to be able to avoid the well-publicised madness of the last train service of the day.

I will be responding to the ScotRail proposals, and I would urge every train user in Inverclyde to do so too. These proposals are definitely not as good as they appear in the headlines. I hope someone at ScotRail and the Scottish Government will see sense and alter these proposals as soon as possible.

Craig Wilson 

Greenock