West Dunbartonshire Council’s chief executive will write to Scotrail and the Scottish Government’s transport minister to oppose proposals to cut hours at local railway ticket offices.
At a special meeting this afternoon, members unanimously agreed that chief executive Joyce White should write to her counterpart at Scotrail, and to Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth, to formally reaffirm West Dunbartonshire Council’s opposition to the ticket office and opening hours reductions.
An addendum from council leader Jonathan McColl also called for the consultation period to be extended from three weeks, which is due to end on Wednesday (February 2).
If Scotrail’s plans get the green light, opening times at Alexandria, Balloch, Cardross, Dumbarton Central, Dalreoch and Helensburgh Central will be reduced.
The plans include changes to opening times at Alexandria which would operate between 9.15am and 2.45pm on a Saturday as opposed to the current times of 6.30am until 11.30pm.
Dumbarton Central’s office, which is open until midnight Monday to Saturday, would shut at 8pm, while on Sundays it would close at 4pm instead of the current 11.10pm.
Labour councillor for Kilpatrick, Douglas McAllister, said: "We all know that tickets can be bought online, it's more than just that. Staff play a vital role in reducing anti-social and criminal behaviour at our stations.
"They play a vital role in giving passengers assistance and advice in relation to travel. A staffed station is a safe station.
"A closed ticket office is a closed station. And therefore an unsafe station for the old, for our young people, for women, for the vulnerable and for all of us."
And council leader Jonathan McColl, of the SNP, added: "A three week consultation is nonsense. In fact the way Scotrail are consulting is nonsense.
"Scotrail need to ask people what they need when they are thinking of redesigning services. Not just come forward with proposals based on outdated ticket sales information.
"If this isn't about having to redesign services because they don't have the budget, and don't have any option, if this is about trying to make things better than I fully expect Scotrail to listen to, what I believe will be, a significant negative response.
"They must think again.
"There needs to be a serious rethink. A complete rethink. Not a tinkering around the edges. A scrapping of the current proposals and going back to the drawing board, asking people what they want."
Last week we told how crimes at local stations have soared by 50 percent since 2019, with 92 reported in the year up until November 2021.
In response West Dunbartonshire Council’s Labour group called for an emergency meeting.
Their motion reads: “This council is concerned with Scotrail’s consultation which proposes reductions to train station ticket office and opening hours.
“Council encourages members of the public to complete the consultation opposing these cuts.
“Council notes that a petition has been created by local campaigners against these cuts and members of the public are encouraged to support the petition to protect the services.
“Therefore, council agrees that the Chief Executive should make formal representation to ScotRail’s Chief Executive and the Scottish Government’s Minister for Transport reaffirming West Dunbartonshire Council’s opposition to the ticket office and opening hours reductions in West Dunbartonshire.”
Speaking before the meeting, Leven councillor John Millar said: “Local residents are really angry about Scotrail cutting hours to local ticket offices. This is the thin edge of the wedge and sets a course for future reductions which not only affect the workers and their livelihoods but means a poorer service for local passengers.
“There is a risk that the condition of some of our train stations will deteriorate without the presence of ticket staff.
“Our train stations will quickly change from places of safety to places of uncertainty and without regular supervision there is a risk of anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
“I will be voting against the ticket office reductions and I want the SNP Scottish Government to shunt ScotRail back on track.
“I am asking local residents to get behind the campaign to save the ticket office services, to sign the petition and to write to ScotRail demanding that services are not reduced.”
Scotrail declined to comment prior to the meeting, but reaffirmed that they believe cutting ticket office hours will lead to a decline in anti-social behaviour, reduce fair fraud and allow staff to work more family friendly hours.
They also stressed that there would be no cuts to staffing numbers as a result, and that there will be no change to the frequency of services.
A public consultation is underway on the proposals and residents have until February 2 to take part by visiting www.scotrail.co.uk/scotrail-ticket-office-consultation.
