PORT Glasgow has reached a new platform after the town’s railway station was named the busiest in Inverclyde with over half a million visitors.

According to data from the UK Office of Rail and Road, the number of entries and exits at the Port soared by almost 15,000 during 2016/17, to 552,500.

This means it has overtaken Greenock West as the district’s number one rail destination.

A total of 525,000 passengers passed through the doors of the West Station — 45,000 fewer people than in 2015/16 — and there were also sharp falls at Gourock and Greenock Central, in third and fourth place respectively.

Down at the bottom was IBM with just over 6,000 entries and exits compared with 22,000 in the previous 12 months, which is blamed on the ‘closure of local industry’.

Overall, Inverclyde rail passenger numbers were down by 72,000 but the huge surge at the Port was welcomed by town councillor David Wilson, who is also vice-chair of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

Mr Wilson said: “Port Glasgow is now the busiest railway station in Inverclyde and that’s indicative of how well the Port is doing.

“The increase in traffic is due partly to the park and ride, which is now 80 per cent full, and to the general increase in the activity of the economy of Port Glasgow with the retail park and also with Ferguson’s.

“We have new retail and also a lot of construction of housing.

“The Port is on the up and up.

“It’s remarkable.”

There were also increases in footfall at Wemyss Bay, Fort Matilda, Cartsdyke, Inverkip, Drumfrochar and Woodhall stations during the year while numbers at Bogston, Whinhill and Branchton were all down.

Mr Wilson said: “The figures are down apart from Port Glasgow, so there may have been a shift to the Port.

“The Port’s the place to be.

“Port Glasgow is booming.

“This is a sign that people are coming to the Port.”