PASSENGER numbers at some rail stations in Dumbarton and the Vale are down by more than 10 per cent, according to new figures.

Statistics published by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) ahead of a board meeting on Friday showed Alexandria down by 12.10 per cent, Dalreoch down by 8.99 per cent and Bowling down by a massive 70.97 per cent.

The numbers are defined as “entries and exits” from stations, comparing 2016-17 to 2015-16.

Those entries and exits are down more than 37,000 at Alexandria, 24,000 at Bowling and 32,000 at Dalreoch.

By contrast, Dumbarton Central saw numbers increase by 63,000, or 8.99 per cent year-on-year, while Dumbarton East went up 14,000, or 4.04 per cent – and Renton was up by a marginal 584 or 0.49 per cent.

But Balloch saw a drop of 3,500, or 0.66 per cent, and Kilpatrick fell 6,200 or 4.86 per cent.

Of 13 stations across West Dunbartonshire, eight saw their passenger numbers drop.

And at nearby Cardross, in Argyll and Bute, there was a drop of 19,606, or 13.52 per cent.

Critics said the numbers highlight the poor service of ScotRail and the problem of trains skipping stations to try to improve performance figures.

But ScotRail insisted the statistics, published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) and highlighted in a report to SPT’s operations committee on Friday, could not be used to judge their service.

Jackie Baillie MSP told the Reporter: “These figures reveal a significant decrease in passengers using local stations in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Cardross despite an overall increase across Scotland as a whole.

“Local commuters know that the only possible explanation is ScotRail’s poor service.

“Ticket prices have gone up each year forcing passengers to pay more for overcrowded trains which skip stations when they are running late, leaving people stranded.

“It is no wonder that people are taking other forms of more reliable transport. It is time for a publicly-owned railway that puts the interests of passengers, not private shareholders, first.”

ScotRail said the ORR figures are just estimates, and are “not necessarily reflective of the actual passenger numbers for individual stations, which we don’t publish”.

A ScotRail Alliance spokesman said: “We want to encourage as many people as possible to travel by train, and to make their journey a seamless one.

“The investment we are making now – in smart ticketing, in new ticket machines, in station improvements, in brand new electric trains for the Central Belt and in high-speed trains connecting Scotland’s seven cities will mean more seats, faster journeys and better services for our customers and help us achieve this goal.”

Reports on Sunday said that up to 20 ScotRail trains a day were missing stops in order to reach their destinations on time – a practice known as ‘stop-skipping’.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf tweeted that the situation was “simply not good enough” and he revealed to MSPs that 0.78 per cent of ScotRail services in 2017 skipped stations - about 20 out of 2,500 trains a day.