INVERCLYDE street pastors are to jump on board a troubled train service which is plagued by anti-social behaviour.
The group of volunteers, who have spent years patrolling the Greenock and Gourock town centres at night helping vulnerable people, now want to turn their attentions to the Wemyss Bay line
It has been used by teenagers to travel to open air parties at opposite ends of the district like Inverkip beach and Pladda fields in Port Glasgow.
Acts of violence, intimidation and vandalism have led to passengers being too scared to use the rail route.
Now the street pastors are in talks with the authorities as they join the fight to keep people safe in Inverclyde at night.
Inverclyde Street Pastors co-ordinator Alistair McAlees said. "Our own group which operates Inverclyde Street Pastors with the Ascension Trust are keen to introduce rail pastors in Inverclyde, particularly on the Wemyss Bay line where we might be of some particular help and discussions have been taking place with this is mind. 
"You need to already be a street pastor to be a rail pastor and extra training is required. 
"Some of our Inverclyde street pastors have indicated that they would take on this new role in addition to their existing role."
The street pastors take to the towns at the weekends looking to help partygoers get home safely and assist where ever possible.
They often provide people coming out of pubs and night clubs with foil blankets to keep warm and carry flip flops to help girls wearing high heels.
Now they want to bring their practical support on to the local trains.
The pastors hope to follow in the footsteps of their colleagues in Fife who have already taking part in a successful pilot there.
They recently travelled to Fife to see for themselves how it worked.
Alistair added: "We have been heartened by the warmth of the response our street pastors get while out on the streets from around 10.30pm until 4.30am and how effective they can be in many situations. 
"We hope that this new development will equally be welcomed within the local community we serve."