MSP Jackie Baillie has called for a fare freeze for rail passengers after months of poor service from Abellio Scotrail.

MS Baillie spoke to commuters at Glasgow Central Station and believes commuters deserve a break. Ms Baillie highlighted several local issues with Scotrail bosses, including station skipping between Dumbarton and Helensburgh Central, recent timetable changes and overcrowding on rush hour services between Balloch and Glasgow.

Ms Baillie said: "Local passengers have been paying through the nose for fares which keep going up in price while Dutch-owned Abellio pockets £1 million a month in profits.

“After a huge spike in complaints in recent months about station-skipping, cuts to rush hour services from Helensburgh and overcrowding on the Airdrie-Balloch line, local passengers should not be asked to pay more next year.

“Ministers in Edinburgh set the cap on all rail fares in the Strathclyde area. That means the Scottish Government can take action now to stop ticket prices going up in January for most passengers in Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh.

"People are fed up with expensive, overcrowded and unreliable trains. After months of misery, local commuters deserve to know there is light at the end of the tunnel with a fare freeze in 2017. The SNP should back Labour's plan."

Labour has called on the SNP to freeze regulated rail fares which are due to increase by up to 1.9 per cent in January. This would see the cost of an Edinburgh-Glasgow season ticket rise by more than £71.

Earlier this week the SNP Transport Minister Humza Yousaf denied that there is a 'poor service'.