THREATS to cut ticket office opening hours at Helensburgh Central and other stations have prompted safety fears for passengers.

ScotRail plans to cut opening hours in the town by 26 per cent along with reduced staffing hours at others along the line through Cardross and Dumbarton.

Jackie Baillie MSP has slammed the plans from the rail operator to cut hours or shut stations.

Helensburgh Central is currently staffed from 5.55am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and 7.50am to 11.45pm on Sundays.

But proposals would see it open from 5.55am until just 7pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm on Saturdays, and 7.50am to 10.30pm on Sundays.

Ms Baillie said the station "would escape" the worst cuts with just a 26 per cent reduction in booking office hours.

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Cardross would only be open from 7.25am to 9.45am, Monday to Thursday, and 7.25am to 10.15am on Fridays.

Dumbarton Central will get a 31.6 per cent cut in hours, closing at 8pm during the week and 4pm on Sundays.

Dalreoch would take one of the largest cuts in Scotland at 81.1 per cent reduced hours. It would only be open the mornings, and early afternoon on Saturdays.

Balloch's ticket office would close no later than 7pm, despite the station being "plagued" by anti-social behaviour, said Ms Baillie.

The RMT rail union is also against the plans cutting ticket office hours at 101 of 143 stations in the country.

ScotRail recently hiked ticket prices after they said cutting peak travel fares wasn't successful enough.

They said no stations were closing and that the network boasted a large CCTV coverage.

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Ms Baillie said: “I am absolutely opposed to these plans for drastic cuts to opening hours at many of our station booking offices throughout the Dumbarton constituency.

“I am clear that staffed rail stations promote passenger safety, help boost passenger confidence and are vital for assisting disabled travellers.

“I have real concerns about what will happen to passenger safety and the reliability of services for disabled commuters, should these cuts be allowed to go ahead.

“Services on the Balloch line and Balloch station itself have also been at the centre of violence and disorder in recent years and closure of these offices will allow thugs free reign to intimidate commuters.

“It is abhorrent that the Scottish Government, which has presided over so many cuts to our public services, would stand by and allow these cuts to booking offices to go ahead when they have only just hiked rail fares.

“Commuters are entitled to adequate services and security for their money.”

A ScotRail spokesperson said: "ScotRail have engaged in a number of meetings with the trade unions to go through the detail of our plan and we have been very clear about our proposals.

"Twelve ticket offices will see their opening hours increase, and 54 where the opening hours will reduce, with staff working elsewhere on the network for the remainder of their shift. This would apply to Alexandria and Dalreoch.

"Of the remaining 77 affected stations, there will be no change to station staffing hours.

"In this case, ticket office opening times will change but the staffing hours will remain the same, enabling the member of staff to still sell tickets on the platform, provide assistance with using ticket vending machines, or carry out other duties at that same station such as leaf clearing in the autumn or gritting in the winter. This is the case for both Balloch and Dumbarton Central.

"All stations remain open, and trains will continue to stop there as per the timetable regardless of ticket office hours. No ticket offices are closing, with only ticket office opening hours being amended.

"On anti-social behaviour, ScotRail has in place a number of proactive measures to improve safety on the rail network.

"This includes hiring more people to double staff late-night trains in known problem areas such as in Balloch, and introduce a team of revenue protection officers, with the vast majority already in place and out on the network. 
    
"The train operator has one of the largest CCTV networks in the UK, with more than six thousand cameras, monitoring over 350 stations.

"ScotRail’s Travel Safe Team, which has been expanded, works closely with BTP to support customers and colleagues in the promotion of a safe railway environment, both on train and in our stations.

"The team was designed to be a reactive resource with the ability to quickly focus on emerging hot spots.

"They actively engage and educate individuals and groups on the impact of unsafe behaviours when on or around the railway environment and offer additional support around Safeguarding and Vulnerability."
   
Since September 2022, the Travel Safe Team has had thousands of interactions and interventions with the general public.