A NEW lift at Port Glasgow railway station installed as part of a multi-million-pound project has been out of commission for more than a week due to damage caused by heavy rain.

The new £5million bridge was officially opened less than four weeks ago, following months of work.

As part of the project, new elevators were installed to provide step-free access to and from each platform at the station.

ScotRail say a problem with drainage during recent heavy rain led to a control panel being damaged.

Several social media users have reported seeing disabled people and parents with prams struggling to cross the platform as a result of the closure.

Jona Anderson described the difficulty she had trying to get across the bridge with her son who is crutches following a leg break, as well as a newborn in a pram and another young child.

She told the Tele: "All this money spent on new disabled access and it isn't working. 

"It was a stressful situation to make that really wasn't needed.

"It's a shame Inverclyde has been failed once again."

Passenger Aileen Anderson added: "I was really concerned about an older couple.

"The lady had a stick and her husband was struggling to get her up the stairs."

While the drainage issue has been resolved, ScotRail's maintenance team is still awaiting a replacement control panel.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “We are sorry to our customers who have been affected by the temporary closure of the lift at Port Glasgow station.

“Staff have been working hard to fix the problem, which was caused by heavy rain, and we will get the lift back into operation as soon as possible.”

The new bridge was installed as part of the Access for All scheme, which is funded by the Department for Transport and managed by Transport Scotland.

At the opening, Councillor Paul Cassidy, chair of the environment and regeneration committee, said: "This has been an incredibly complex project involving many different partners but one that has been delivered in good time and with minimum disruption.

“Most importantly, it’s a project that is going to make a huge difference to the users of Port Glasgow Train Station by providing step-free access for everyone from wheelchair users, to passengers with luggage, and parents with prams, to commuters."