Letter to the Editor

Like many people who commute to Glasgow to work, I was surprised and disappointed at the unilateral imposition of the cancellation of the main commuter train service to Glasgow in the mornings this summer.

I can share a helpful tip with readers, however. 

I was required to commute into Glasgow on two occasions this week. On the first day, I took the train, which end to end took one hour and 10 minutes and cost £16.60. 

On the second, I drove to Shields Road park and ride (a 60-mile round trip), parked the car and took the subway, which meant my trip cost £16.25 - and the journey time from door to door was the same.

Taking the car was as quick, more convenient, more flexible (I visited my parents on the way home) and more comfortable - not to mention healthier, given how many people seem to have coughs these days. With the removal of the 0742 train from Largs, the car will become only more attractive. 

I doubt that ScotRail, and their owner the Scottish Government, intended to make rail travel even less attractive. However the cuts they are imposing all over Scotland - Largs is not alone - all add up and show that ScotRail, their executives and the government are totally out of touch with reality and that they have no idea how to run a train service to meet the needs of their paying customers, how to make train use more appealing than car, or actually help achieve the net zero targets they tell us they want to meet.

I'll vote with my feet, and many more will start to do the same. I suggest ScotRail and their government owners wake up and realise that if they don't put customers first, shortages of drivers or cost cutting won't matter too much anyway with further dwindling passenger numbers. 

Jamie Black

Largs