RAIL passengers travelling to and from one of Scotland's biggest towns are missing out on improved train services in a move branded unfair and unacceptable by a local authority.
A timetable overhaul in December will result in two extra trains operating between Glasgow and Ayr during the morning and afternoon peak periods, providing thousands of extra seats for commuters on the busy route.
However, the new services will not stop at Paisley Gilmour Street, Scotland's fifth busiest station. In a further blow, the number of direct off-peak services between the town and Ayr will actually be halved from the present two trains an hour.
The other will now terminate at Irvine, requiring passengers to change there to reach Ayr.
The move was branded unfair and unacceptable by the leader of Renfrewshire Council, who said it would hit Paisley's tourism and economic regeneration.
Mark Macmillan said the changes would affect students at the University of the West of Scotland, which has campuses in Ayr and Paisley, and passengers travelling to Prestwick airport.
He said: "Our local and regional economy relies on strong transport links. The reductions in service would clearly damage not only transport links across the west of Scotland, but also opportunities for employment, economic regeneration and tourism.
"When the Renfrewshire economy was dealt a major blow with the cancellation of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, we were told there remained a commitment to improving services between Glasgow and Paisley.
"Having endured the upheaval as infrastructure work was carried out to enable increased rail capacity, we are now told that services will be cut."
However, Transport Scotland said the changes would lead to an increase of 500,000 passengers a year on the route.
A spokeswoman said: "The proposed timetable has been developed to grow passenger demand and includes better ferry connections, more off-peak services and faster journey times across all routes in Ayrshire and Inverclyde.
"These changes are forecast to generate more than half a million additional rail journeys each year, with all stations on the routes, including Paisley Gilmour Street, attracting more passengers."
The spokeswoman added Transport Scotland was still working with ScotRail and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport to further improve the timetable.
The Herald understands modelling carried out as part of the proposed changes, made by train operator ScotRail on behalf of Transport Scotland, showed an extra 50,000 passengers a year would travel through Paisley Gilmour Street.
This is due to faster electric services being introduced, slightly cutting journey times to Glasgow Central. The station will also see enhanced connections to other Renfrewshire stations, some of which are skipped by trains in the current timetable.
A ScotRail spokeswoman said: "The timetable changes we have proposed to Transport Scotland for Renfrewshire and Ayrshire are designed to attract more passengers to rail in the off peak, increasing journeys between local stations and to/from Glasgow, with new services that use a mix of fast and 'stopping' trains.
"This approach is expected to generate an additional 50,000 passengers each year through Paisley Gilmour Street alone and more than 500,000 in total throughout both regions."
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