TRANSPORT Scotland has come under fire for announcing plans to put passenger counting equipment on trains.

The Scottish Government agency said it was investing £3.13million on the rail services in a bid to improve "day-to-day passenger experience".

However Green campaigner for Musselburgh Jason Rose said the money would be better spent improving the services in the county than on counting machines.

Speaking as the new investment was announced by Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, Mr Rose, who has spoken out about the overcrowded train services on the North Berwick to Edinburgh line, dismissed the extra cash.

He said: "Overcrowded trains are a daily ordeal for East Lothian commuters, and many people at often left standing on the platform at Musselburgh when at-capacity services fail to stop.

"This causes huge disruption to people's lives and so far we've had no sign from either ScotRail or the Scottish Government that they are taking this seriously.

"We need longer trains now. Not colour-coded timetables. Not additional counting equipment. Longer trains. Now."

The funding for Transport Scotland will be used to install new ticket vending machines at the 10 busiest stations which have none, upgrade air conditioning systems on the new Class 158 trains, upgrade WiFi services and install Additional Passenger Counting Equipment on trains across the ScotRail fleet.

Mr Yousaf said: "This extra funding recognises our commitment to improving accessibility and passenger experience across the rail network. It complements the overall £5 billion investment that the Scottish Government is making in Scotland’s railways to 2019 and will mean more people will be able to take the train in greater comfort than ever before."

Phil Verster, ScotRail’s managing director, who recently attended a meeting in Prestonpans where the problems with the service were discussed, welcomed the £3 million spend.

Mr Verster, who told the Prestonpans meeting that Scotrail simply did not have any more trains to ease the pressures on the East Lothian services, said: "This investment in improving rail facilities – both on-train and around our stations – is what makes customer experience all the more positive.

"Our customers expect a wide-ranging package of services when they travel with us, from efficient methods of ticket purchase, readily available WiFi and comfortable trains to technology and extensive station facilities. All of these improvements show we’re committed to making their rail travel enjoyable and efficient."