Irate train travellers are angry at the poor quality of trains between Wemyss Bay and Glasgow.

Fiona Riddell has complained about the matter to the ScotRail Managing Director Alex Hynes, who has responded via Twitter.

Fiona said: "I was heading to Manchester on Thursday, and took 6am service from Gourock. Wemyss Bay passengers have to endure old substandard trains on 70% of services, with new trains in abundance at Gourock. If you're fed up with the substandard service on the Wemyss Bay line, get in touch with the new Scotrail MD Alex Hynes or message him on twitter: @alexhynes to let him know your concerns.

"ScotRail was proud to publicise 90% customer satisfaction this week - have to wonder what the rating would be on the peak services to/from Wemyss Bay!"

And Fiona's tweet received a reply from the ScotRail chief.

She explained: " To his credit, Alex Hynes has messaged me back asking what I particularly like about the new trains. I like the comfortable seats, cleanliness, personal space, tables, toilets and warmth in winter. I could go on further but if you are travelling from Wemyss Bay, you've got no choice of train - like Largs, we only have one service per hour. I did suggest to Mr Hynes that the pain was shared with other services - Ayr, for example (with 3 trains per hour) has no old trains running on their service."

Passengers are growing increasingly angry about conditions on the the substitute old trains on the Gourock and Wemyss Bay lines — which have no toilets or wi-fi and poor heating.

The 'News' understands that the up-to-date rolling stock had been taken away so that instructors could teach new drivers.

And now it has emerged that they will be away until at least May 2018, and that nowhere else in the country has had their new trains removed.

ScotRail have admitted that each weekday almost a third of Gourock-Glasgow trains — 17 out of 55 — and nearly half of Wemyss Bay-Glasgow services — nine out of 19 — now use the old trains, known as Class 314s.

Built in 1979, they replaced newer Class 380 trains — constructed between 2009 and 2011 — which have been diverted to driver-training classes in the Edinburgh depots.

Asked if it was fair that passengers had to pay the same fare for travelling on the old trains, a ScotRail Alliance spokeswoman said: “We have done everything we can to limit the impact on customers, and no services have been cancelled as a result of a small number of Class 380s moving for driver training.

“We’ve spaced, where possible, the services operated by Class 314s. This means that customers can choose a slightly earlier or later train if they prefer to travel on a class 380.

“No other routes are impacted, as we have taken just four Class 380s to allow us to progress driver training for the arrival of a new electric fleet this autumn.

“If all goes to plan, these four class 380s will be returned to both routes by May 2018.”