We’re not in running for post-Games jobs

And the main reason why our area will miss out on the benefits from the colossal investment being put into the `rebirth’ of the East End of Glasgow is that local people simply no longer have any direct rail service to that area following ScotRail’s highly unpopular timetable changes earlier this year.

Once travellers from Lanark and Carluke Stations could catch two trains an hour to Rutherglen but, since the local services were re-routed onto the Glasgow high-level line, that main station serving the Gateway area is totally by-passed by our local services.

The only way Clydesdale passengers can get to Rutherglen now is to get off the train at Cambuslang and wait for a connection or go all the way into Glasgow Central - and get a train back out in the opposite direction!

The apparent lack of joined-up thinking between the Gateway project partners and the public transport providers has been highlighted by Lanark’s Independent councillor Ed Archer.

He said this week: “I was at the Clyde Gateway project last week and one of the people showing the party of councillors around stated that the people in Lanark would be at a disadvantage regarding the new jobs generated in the Rutherglen area as there is no direct train service from Lanark to Rutherglen. The same obviously goes for Carluke, being on the same line. I feel that this is yet another nail in the coffin regarding job opportunities for people from Lanark and area.”

Jim McCaffer, Head of Regeneration Services at South Lanarkshire Council, said: “A total of 4385 jobs had been created in the Clyde Gateway with many of these jobs having gone to South Lanarkshire residents. Clydesdale residents can access these opportunities through the creation of the M74 extension together with frequent rail services from Carluke and Lanark stations via Cambuslang which stop within Clyde Gateway.”