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Region Proposes Better Rail Service to Town

Friday 16TH December, 1983, Barrhead News

Barrhead’s rail travellers will go into the 90s with a new and improved service. But Neilston will get left out in the cold.
For proposals by Strathclyde’s Regional Council’s working party suggest concentrating on four services, including Barrhead. That is if the Government stumps up 75 percent of the cost. And even at that, the Barrhead / Kilmarnock bill to the rgion would be 1.7m.

CLOSED

The main recommendations include an improved service to Barrhead and Kilmarnock; existing diesel trains should be increased from hourly to half hourly and in four years time, four new class 150 diesel multiple units introduced to the Barrhead line. Neilston and Patterton stations would be closed. And a spokesman at British Rail said:
“This a regional council report and is an honest appraisal of rail services. The working party, in closing certain stations would be satisfied that alternative public transport services would be available”.

REMOVED

The working party was set up after it became evident that efficiency would need to be improved and economies made or the entire rail service would disappear. amongst the economies, surplus platforms at Barrhead will be removed. The plans success depends not only on full co-operation by the council, BR and the unions, but on grants coming in from the EEC and the Government,