A GREEN MSP has called on ScotRail to “get a grip” on rail services in the region, as recent figures show that the West of Scotland suffers from some of the highest instances of stop-skipping in the country, particularly in West Dunbartonshire.

According to performance statistics from between August 20, 2017 and February 3, 2018, just over half of the ten most skipped stations in Scotland are located in the region.

In particular, Alexandria and Renton were jointly the second most skipped stations in Scotland relative to the number of scheduled services, with 218 services skipping both stations. Drumry (284) and Singer (280) stations were the fourth and seventh most skipped stations by percentage.

Ross Greer, Green MSP for the West of Scotland, said: “The disappointing feeling of finding your train will be skipping your stop has become all too familiar for commuters in recent months.

“Poor punctuality is one thing, leaving people out in the cold for another half an hour because ScotRail have chosen to skip their stop to try and make up for lost time just isn’t acceptable.

“It’s disappointing to find that West Dunbartonshire is so badly affected by this issue, with four of the top ten most skipped stations. ScotRail need to get a grip on their services in West Dunbartonshire, and stop letting the public down.”

A ScotRail Alliance spokesperson said: “Our performance hasn’t been good enough in recent months, but the latest figures show that things are improving. More of our trains are arriving on time, and we have reduced skip-stopping in West Dunbartonshire by more than 30 per cent in recent months. We’re working hard to reduce this even further.

“Skip-stopping is something that we only do when absolutely necessary, to prevent further disruption across the network. We’re very clear that it’s always a last resort.”