South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth has called on people across Ayrshire to give their views on planned rail cuts.
Last week, ScotRail announced a raft of planned changes to the rail network – with many services either being cut or not going back to pre-pandemic levels.
On the bulk of the Glasgow to Ayrshire routes, ScotRail is not planning to make any changes to the pandemic timetable which is currently operating.
However, on the Kilmarnock to Ayr and Stranraer services, ScotRail is proposing that the timetable will provide seven trains per day from Kilmarnock to Ayr; six trains per day from Ayr to Kilmarnock; a train every one or two hours between Ayr and Girvan, and five trains per day in each direction between Girvan and Stranraer.
The proposal for five trains is less than the eight that existed prior to the pandemic and the changes are set to be introduced next year.
But Mr Smyth is asking as many people as possible to take part in ScotRail’s consultation in a bid to reverse the proposals. The consultation closes on October 1.
He said: “The planned cuts to our rail timetables are due to come into play in May 2022 but right now, they are not set in stone.
“That’s why I’m urging as many people as possible to reply to ScotRail’s consultation and give their views about how they would be affected by the changes.
“It is also important to remember that while a lot of people have been avoiding public transport during the pandemic, we simply do not know at this stage how many people will be commuting again come May next year.
“These planned cuts will be the single biggest cut in rail services in the south of Scotland in living memory and really would undermine our journey to net-zero and efforts to urge people to get back on public transport.
“We need to be making it as easy as possible for people to get back on to public transport – but cutting dozens of services a day will leave us with infrequent trains.
“Prior to the pandemic many services were already woeful but now it’s set to get worse.”
Alex Hynes, ScotRail's railway managing director, said: “The pandemic has changed how people travel across all of Scotland so our services will reflect these varied travel patterns and deliver timetables that are reliable, have enough capacity to meet pre-Covid levels of demand, and are sustainable."
Operations director David Simpson added: “The significant cost of running the railway following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic means it’s essential that the railway meets the changing needs of customers, as well as provides the taxpayer with best value for money. Our timetable proposals do that.
“That might mean offering a different service on different days of the week or different times of the year as passenger demand varies across the week or through the year. But by doing so, we can ensure Scotland’s railway remains sustainable into the future."
The ScotRail website – https://www.scotrail.co.uk/fit-for-the-future – has more information and includes a link to a survey where customers and communities can give their views.
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
