The number of passenger journeys to and from Dumbarton’s railway stations has fallen dramatically, according to new figures.

Dumbarton Central has seen a 10 per cent drop and journeys to and from Dumbarton East are down six per cent.

The figures are contained in a report from the Office of Rail and Road for the year to the end of March.

In real terms, the estimated figures for Dumbarton Central – the town’s main station - fell by 84,088 to 730,662.

At Dumbarton East, the reduction is less dramatic – down by 27,730 to 421,742 – though Dalreoch also saw a significant drop, from 364,594 to 294,780.

The figures come as no surprise to commuters on the line who have had to put up with many delays and cancellations.

Jackie Baillie MSP, who has been a vehement critic of the service, says passengers have told her they have now found alternative means of travelling.

And as more problems have occurred since October, she expects the next round of figures to show even more of a downturn.

She said: “It is clear that people in Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven and Helensburgh rely on the train service. This is evidenced by the huge number of passengers using the service.

“However, since the problems with our service started in October, passengers have been telling me that they have found alternative forms of transport as they simply cannot rely on the train service any longer.

“Passengers are voting with their feet and telling ScotRail and the Scottish Government that they won’t pay for a service which they cannot rely on.

“I would not be surprised if passenger numbers for the last quarter of 2018 show dramatic decreases in passenger numbers in this area.”

Balloch station also recorded a drop, from 543,066 to 529,198, a fall of around 2.5 per cent.

However, Helensburgh Central bucked the trend, with passenger numbers there growing by 8,392 to 773,724.

Clydebank station also showed an increase, from 349,406 to 382,270.

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

“Sunday December 9 saw the first stage of changes to our timetable, with more work to deliver for our customers over the next year.

“The investment ScotRail and Network Rail is making to modernise the railway will deliver more seats, faster journeys and better services for our customers.”