THE Scottish Transport Minister has been asked to support early investment in new rail carriages for the Neilston line.

East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald and Renfrewshire South MSP Tom Arthur want more rolling stock to be added after it emerged rush-hour trains from the village are among the most overcrowded in Scotland.

They have written to Humza Yousaf, highlighting that a new station to be built at Barrhead South as part of the Glasgow City Deal will increase demand.

After a visit to the village’s station,Ms Oswald said: “The Glasgow City Deal will see £44 million invested in East Renfrewshire and it’s vitally important this delivers enhanced services for our communities.

“Tom Arthur and I have asked the Minister for Transport to raise this issue with the Glasgow City Region Cabinet.

“Although it forms a relatively minor part of the overall City Deal, it would be a real boost to rail travellers if the cabinet gave the green light to bringing forward this investment.”

Mr Arthur added: “With Neilston named the most desirable place to live in Scotland, Kirsten and I want to do all we can to ensure that title is retained and we address any challenges we face locally.”

A spokeswoman for government agency Transport Scotland said Mr Yousaf is happy to meet Ms Oswald and Mr Arthur to discuss the issues they’ve raised.

She added: “Transport Scotland are continuing to work with East Renfrewshire Council as they develop their transport appraisal for the Barrhead South area.

“We are committed to improving rail services across the network, as is evidenced by our £5 billion investment until 2019. This is bringing more seats, better reliability and more availability, while we are also upgrading and refurbishing the existing fleet.

“For passengers on the Neilston line, short-term initiatives include the introduction of four-carriage class 380 trains with 282 seats from early next year, followed later in 2018 by the introduction of the class 385 fleet, offering even more seats and flexibility.”