Clydesdale rail linksslammed as '˜abysmal'

A meeting of Lanark Community Council heard a litany of complaints about sudden cancellations, station stops being missed out without warning and passengers being left stranded far from their homes in Carluke and Lanark.

The latest council monthly meeting was meant to discuss various projects to make Lanark Station a more welcoming place for visitors to gain their first impressions of the Royal Burgh.

However, members quickly transformed this into a chance to vent their spleen about the local rail services’ alleged failings.

These claims included:

A recent Glasgow to Lanark service that by-passed Lanark completely, took passengers to Carstairs and then returned, missing Lanark again, to “dump” passengers at Motherwell Station.

Trains arriving too late at Motherwell or Cambuslang for passengers to catch the connecting trains to, respectively, Hamilton and Rutherglen.

On-board toilets often being out of order, leading to at least one case of an unwell elderly Lanark passenger soiling himself.

The Glasgow-Lanark line to be deprived of any new carriages, only getting old, “refurbished” rolling stock.

Trains ‘skipping’ stations between the city and Clydesdale without warning to make up time when running late.

These complaints came on the back of Lanark to Glasgow services controversially being transferred from the Low Level to High Level Line, missing out stations such as Rutherglen and Argyle Street.

The Gazette was still awaitung a requested response to the criticisms from the ScotRail/Abellio Alliance at time of going to press.