HELENSBURGH’S MSP has blasted ScotRail for running peak hour trains to and from the town with half the usual number of carriages.

Jackie Baillie says one passenger on a rush-hour Helensburgh service took ill after travellers were forced to squeeze into three carriages instead of the usual six.

The problem – which ScotRail has blamed on maintenance issues as well as delays in introducing new trains elsewhere on its network – saw one of the busiest morning peak services to Glasgow, the 7.26am train from Helensburgh to Edinburgh, run with just three coaches, instead of six, on three mornings last week.

And the same happened on evening rush-hour services from Glasgow Queen Street to Helensburgh on Wednesday, Friday and Monday.

One social media user alerted ScotRail to a young female passenger who took ill on the 7.26am train from Helensburgh last Thursday morning.

Services elsewhere in Ms Baillie’s constituency, on the Airdrie-Balloch and Springburn-Dumbarton routes, have also been affected.

Ms Baillie said: “Passengers are being asked to pay more and more for an unreliable train service and now they are being crammed in like sardines.

“It was so bad that one passenger took unwell on the train due to the excessive heat caused by the lack of space on the three carriage service.

“The Helensburgh train runs to Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley meaning it is a vital service for commuters.

“It is clear that three carriages simply isn’t enough.

“ScotRail must take action to ensure that the appropriate number of carriages is being used on every service.”

ScotRail has blamed the problem on “a number of factors”, including trains requiring maintenance and the late arrival of new ‘Class 385’ and high-speed InterCity trains, saying the latter had affected the company’s ability to train up staff ahead of the new ScotRail timetable, which took effect on December 9.

The company pledged to run almost all trains on the Helensburgh and Balloch routes with six carriages from the start of the new timetable.

Service reliability has also been affected by a dispute with the RMT trade union over ‘rest day’ working, though that has now been resolved.

A spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to our customers who have experienced disruption to their journey and hope the young lady has made a full recovery.

“We know that one of the biggest concerns is busy trains, and we’re working hard to deliver the level of service our customers expect.”