Clydebank rail station: Call to scrap 'dangerous' ticket office plans

Dalmuir’s office is also facing a dramatic reduction in opening hours – even as ScotRail praised staff there for helping save the life of a vulnerable person during an evening in recent weeks.

ScotRail – which will be taken over by the Scottish Government within months – is consulting on changes to 120 stations throughout the country but politicians, passengers and their own workers have called for a rethink.

A sign to “save our station” has been posted on the doors of Clydebank’s ticket office asking the public to have their say.

And days after the survey launched, ScotRail praised the actions of two members of staff in Dalmuir who acted quickly when approached by a concerned member of the public.

But they then admitted the incident happened during an evening in mid-December. Under proposed changes, Dalmuir’s ticket office would close at 7pm most nights instead of midnight.

Clydebank rail station

When questioned by the Post if the life would have been put at risk under their plans, the rail operator insisted their help points and CCTV would still be available.

Clydebank’s MSP, Marie McNair, said: “Just last week I warned that closing the ticket office at Clydebank station was the wrong move. It would remove ScotRail staff from a fairly remote station, putting women and vulnerable people at risk.

“Now we have the news – highlighted by ScotRail itself – that a vulnerable person was supported by staff at the Dalmuir station one evening in December – supported by the very staff who would no longer be there if ScotRail’s plans to limit the opening hours at that station get the green light.

“ScotRail must now see that plans to close the ticket office at Clydebank station, as well as reducing the hours at Dalmuir, must be taken off the table.”

Rail bosses at the weekend praised staff Paul McElroy and Stephen Walsh who intervened in December when a member of the public was concerned about a friend’s welfare.

ScotRail said Mr McElroy comforted the person and worked to identify where in the network the friend was. Mr Walsh quickly contacted the control centre to ensure no trains would pass through the area.

Their actions gave emergency services time to get on the scene and prevent the vulnerable person coming to any harm.

Dalmuir rail station

Shirley Courtney, ScotRail station manager, said: “Stephen and Paul acted quickly, professionally and compassionately. Their actions no doubt saved this person’s life and I’m extremely proud of them both.

“The power of conversation can never be underestimated and can make a huge difference in someone’s life.”

When questioned by the Post about whether the life would have been at risk under the new reduced hours without an open office in Dalmuir, a ScotRail media relations officer said: “Every station has a help point which connects directly to our customer service and CCTV centre.

“Commend your efforts in trying to turn a positive story into a negative one.”

Clydebank Waterfront councillor Danny Lennie said the incident could have ended in tragedy without workers present and accessible.

He said: “Reduction is dangerous. The elderly and those needing assistance will be exposed to severe difficulties. Ticket machines can be difficult to use at the best of times, but nearly impossible for the partially sighted.

“Those passengers needing assistance to get on and off the train, if the station is not manned, are they expected to throw themselves off and hope for the best? Stupid plan, ill thought out.”

West Dunbarton Councellors 2017.

Cllr Lennie added: “Dalmuir station has had its problems at night with anti-social behaviour. An unmanned station there or at Clydebank would simply make it a free for all, with the station being damaged and passengers simply not using the station at night.

“ScotRail has a clear duty of care to its staff and passengers, reducing the opening times would be a clear breach of ScotRail’s duty of care, a socially irresponsible decision.”

Workers also hit out at the plans from their employers.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT union, told the Post: “The closure of the ticket office at Clydebank would be a reckless and cynical move that would have serious implications for both customer service and customer safety.

“De-staffed stations are a magnet for crime and anti social behaviour and we have seen recently just how vital a staffing presence has been at Clydebank. Any closure would hit the most vulnerable hardest. I would urge the people of Clydebank to support RMT’s campaign to stop it happening.”

Transport Focus, the passenger independent watchdog, is running the consultation on the future of the services.

Robert Samson from the group said: “ScotRail has proposed changes to ticket office opening hours at 120 of its stations. ScotRail is consulting with passengers and Transport Focus.

“It’s important for people to have their say and we urge people to look at ScotRail’s proposals and provide us with comments. We will be considering comments from passengers on the changes to inform our response.”

Speaking about the proposed changes, a ScotRail spokesperson said: “There has been no real review of our ticket office opening hours for 30 years, and it is important we keep up with the changing habits of customers who no longer rely on purchasing tickets in that way.

“With more than a 50 per cent drop in the use of ticket offices, heightened by the pandemic, we want to do everything we can to make sure everyone has a hassle-free journey.”

ScotRail is expected to be taken into public control later this year after the contract was ended early over failures on the franchise.

For more information or to have a say on the changes, visit scotrail.co.uk/scotrail-ticket-office-consultation.