Train overcrowding: I was delighted Scotrail has finally caved in to demands from myself and passengers to address severe overcrowding on trains to Glasgow from Dumbarton and Balloch. By the end of the year the very restricted three-carriage service on the Airdrie-Balloch line will increase to six carriages on the busiest evening services.

I had contacted the Transport Minister and Scotrail several times over the past year to complain about the dangerous level of overcrowding on local rush hour services. The Airdrie-Balloch service has been named and shamed in the list of the top 10 most overcrowded services in Scotland. In February, a passenger had to be removed from a train to an ambulance waiting at Dumbarton Central after fainting in a jam-packed carriage. Enough was enough. Commuters were getting a rubbish service despite having to pay more to travel.

The announcement of extra carriages is well overdue, and it’s a pity Scotrail did not act sooner, but passengers will be relieved when the new timetable is introduced in December. It goes to show that all the emails and angry tweets sent by passengers have finally had an impact on the decision-makers. in the Scotrail boardroom.

Too many local passengers are waiting on late-running services and paying over the odds to travel on overcrowded trains. That’s why I will continue to campaign for a not-for-profit People’s Scotrail, a railway company whose commitment is not to shareholders abroad, but to passengers in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and across Scotland.

Chivas Brothers’ green light: I was pleased to note Chivas Brothers’ decision to invest in a new bottling plant and headquarters in Dumbarton has taken a major step forward with the grant of planning permission. for its recent application.

The £40 million expansion is great news for the economy and we should be proud that an iconic global brand has chosen to make Dumbarton its headquarters. It will transfer hundreds of jobs from Paisley to Dumbarton, secure local jobs and protect our area’s proud whisky heritage for years to come.

The Lomondgate development in Dumbarton is already home to a number of other top companies, including Aggreko and the BBC, and I hope the recent vote of confidence from Chivas will help attract further jobs and investment to Dumbarton and the Vale.