FIVE of ScotRail’s charging points for electric vehicles at train stations in East Lothian remain out of action – nine months after they were forced to take them offline after faults emerged.

Only the charging point at Drem Railway Station is back in action.

The delays in bringing the charging points back into public use have been described as “disappointing” by East Lothian MSP Iain Gray.

And Councillor Norman Hampshire, deputy leader of East Lothian Council, said moves to encourage people to buy electric cars could be hampered by the lack of working charging points.

Mr Hampshire said the council had received numerous complaints about the out-of-order points at train stations.

The council is currently working on an ambitious project to provide its own charging points not only in town centres but in villages and more rural locations as it strives to meet national targets.

Mr Hampshire said: “We have received many complaints about the failure of this provision at all our train stations.

“It has been taken up with Scot Rail on several occasions but no progress has been made.

“East Lothian Council is working with the Scottish Government to deliver the new charging points and are stressing to them the importance of funding to deliver a high maintenance standard.

“We will not give people the confidence to purchase an electric vehicle if they see many charging points with Out of Order signs on them.”

ScotRail said it ‘decommissioned’ all its charging points across Scotland in May last year after a wiring fault was discovered at Pitlochry Station.

At the time, the train operator said it hoped to have the points back in use in six weeks; but a spokesperson, confirmed only 25 of ScotRail’s 50 chargers were in service, but they hoped to have the others back working in the spring.

MSP Mr Gray said: “With the number of electric vehicles on our roads growing year on year, it is vital that owners have access to charging points in places that are convenient for them.

“Train stations are an obvious place to help facilitate a joined-up approach to travel, so it’s certainly disappointing that so many charging points at East Lothian stations are out of order.

“I have already raised this with ScotRail and believe they should make it a priority to have them back up and running again as quickly as possible.”

A ScotRail spokesperson said: “We apologise to customers currently unable to charge their electric cars. We are working with our contractor to have our charge points back in service as quickly as possible.”