“SAVE OUR STATIONS FROM SCOTRAIL CUTS” SAYS MACASKILL
ALBA Depute Leader Kenny MacAskill MP and Cllr Michelle Ferns, ALBA Party councillor for Shettleston have today (Friday) issued an S.O.S. to Scotrail and launched a petition to “Save Our Stations from Scotrail Cuts” at Dalmarnock Railway Station.
Scotrail have issued a public consultation which proposes to reduce the office hours of 117 of its 143 managed stations including the complete closure of three tickets offices at Cartsdyke, Clydebank and Woodhall.
These proposed changes would result in a reduction in services and assistance to the travelling public and would pose a threat to public safety and have rightly been condemned by the RMT trade union.
At Dalmarnock station it is proposed that the ticket office hours be reduced on weekdays with a later opening time of 07:15 hrs (compared with 06:37 hrs) and an earlier closing time of 09:30 hrs (compared with 23:15 hrs). This would see a drastic week day reduction in the ticket opening hours of over 13 hours per day and over 92 hours over the week.
As part of these changes it is proposed to close the ticket office on Saturday (currently 06:37 hrs to 23:15 hrs) and on Sunday (currently 09:55 hrs to 18:11 hrs).
Speaking at the launch today (Friday) ALBA Party Depute Leader Kenny MacAskill MP said:
“Scotrail are simply failing to meet their responsibilities to the travelling public by proposing cuts to ticket office opening hours at stations like Dalmarnock. It is madness that Scotrail are proposing to close ticket offices at weekends when the highest footfall is often on match days with fans using the service to travel to Parkhead. These cuts will lead to a reduction in a service the public are entitled to receive.
“There are a range of services provided by staff working in ticket offices and at stations which a ticket vending simply cannot provide. A ticket vending machine will not automatically provide the cheapest fare for passengers and the lack of staff to provide assistance to disabled, older and vulnerable passengers with sight and mobility issues is unacceptable.
“As of 1 April 2022, Abellio will no longer be operating the ScotRail franchise, which will be publicly run. The RMT trade union, with whom I met recently has questioned why the outgoing operator is consulting over significant changes to a rail franchise it will no longer be responsible for in just a matter of weeks. They are right to do so and that is why I am calling on the Scottish Government to use its ongoing Emergency Measures Agreement, to intervene and withdraw these proposals now.”
Also speaking at the launch of the “Save Our Stations” petition ALBA Councillor for Shettleston Michelle Ferns said:
“ALBA is fighting back on behalf of our communities in opposing these proposed cuts to vital services.
“Reducing the opening hours of Scotrail ticket offices is not only short sighted it is a false economy. But more than that it poses a direct threat to public safety, particularly for women travelling home at night, and could cause potential harm by leaving ticket offices and stations unstaffed during the day, in evenings and at weekends.
“The proposed reductions in service will also affect the ability of disabled passengers and older commuters to access services.
That is unacceptable and Scotrail must be forced to think again.”
With ticket collectors on trains no longer accepting money, and with ticket machines not accepting money, it’s not difficult to see what how the Scottish Government want everyone to have an electronic ( national identity?) travel pass that can track citizen movement.
Look at the new much vaunted free under 21 travel pass. To get it you have to provide copy of your passport, birth certificate, a current photograph and other documents. National ID card, modern day Pass Card a la apartheid South Africa – does anyone see the connection. Linked with photo recognition cameras in every station, train carriage, bus the mechanisms for surveillance are being put in place.
Why should it only be cars that are tracked and logged across the entire trunk road network with ANPR cameras. Or people in City centre streets and shopping area with photo recognition. It’s already up and running in some areas and not a cheep from the hapless population.
My God Roddy our masses must believe in the tooth fairy when tjey don’t see any danger on this – and Boris and the boys must be heaven sent saints to look after us. Ditto their Gauleiter Fra Sturgeon.
And moreover if we think governments today are honest and saintly, let us all reflect on the commemoration this week of Holocaust Day.
Ah, but I digress – who cares if all, or most of the train ticket offices are closed. We’ll just suck it up as we do.
Many thanks however to Alba for raising
Hey and well said Kenny.
Not only do we need to save and preserve our train stations. We need to preserve our impartial and pro-indy radio stations.
Indyliveradio.com needs you Scotland.
Greetings fae Scotland’s Kilsyth. Party.
After Saturday… Sunday’s coming.
Let’s talk about where we are.
Cheers B.
Why are those in greatest need, at greatest risk and most likely not to have an alternative always the target of cost cutting?
Those who can will move to an alternative e.g. using their car.
The environment suffers and the business suffers…so they bring in more cost cutting measures and the downward spiral continues
I thought the plan was to encourage Rail travel?
Better tell Kenny to get back to his constituency as the Labour Party are down at Dunbar doing the same thing. Must be seen to work in his own area. Maybe he is worried about Tuesday night. He should be.
With regards in particular to the Dalmarnock train station, it was not that long ago that this station underwent a massive redevelopment and upgrade (alongside Glasgow’s Clyde Gateway project), not only to provide and encourage additional footfall for football revelers travelling to and from Parkhead, but also to mark the legacy of Glasgow’s 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The surrounding areas (as per Alex Salmond’s previous and original SNP government) have seen this side of Glasgow invested-in and transformed much for the better, what with the ‘Commonwealth Games Village’ being built for our international athletes during competition time now being used as family homes for the many citizens of Glasgow. Then there’s the Emirates Arena!
Scotland used to have a massive railway network, which I believe was destroyed and made defunct by Labour politicians back in the day. The lines weren’t even moth-balled for future days (though many tracks do still remain). Labour were found out by the voting population of Scotland and for this NuSNP NOT to act in protecting Scotland’s railways (and many other political issues) will see them following in Labour’s footsteps… where everything they touch, or intentionally avoid, turns to merde.
The intentions to roll-back AGAIN on our train stations is completely unacceptable and the current Scottish Government (under the
leadershipinstruction of Nicola Sturgeon) must step in and prevent these changes at the very least from happening, as they have a duty of care to provide for the people of Scotland and to our international visitors.