GLASGOW commuters were able to buy a train ticket for the first time at their local railway station as part of £500,000 of improvements by ScotRail.

Machines have been installed at 21 stations across the west of Scotland, including eight which have never had the facility before.

Rail passengers at King's Park Station in Glasgow were able to use credit and debit cards yesterday to buy tickets for the first time along with commuters at Hairmyres in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, and Giffnock, East Renfrewshire.

The other card-only vending machines are to be installed over the next few weeks at stations across Glasgow – Bellgrove, Burnside, Carntyne, Partick, Shettleston, Pollokshaws West and Pollokshields East.

Other upgraded stations are Bellshill, Coatdyke in Coatbridge and Croy, all North Lanarkshire; East Kilbride, Rutherglen and Carluke in South Lanarkshire; Thornliebank and Whitecraigs in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Dumbarton East and Hillfoot in Bears-den, East Dunbartonshire, and Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire.

ScotRail's commercial director Sean Duffy said: "The touch-screen machine will make a real difference for our customers in Strathclyde by making it faster and easier to buy tickets."

gordon.thomson@eveningtimes.co.uk