Published: Wednesday, 21st May, 2008 12:00
I’ve got the first ticket!
By Nicola Findlay
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Paul Drummond is issued with the first ticket for the first train from Alloa by conductor Lyn Robbins.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
AN ALLOA man beat the crowds to be the first passenger on the first train to stop at the town’s newly opened station on Monday.
Paul Drummond (32) got up at 5.30am to catch the train to Stirling for a job interview and was the first to receive a ticket from conductor Lyn Robbins.
And after speaking to his gran it transpired that the railway has played an important part in his family history with both his grandfathers spending their working life on them.
Paul told the Advertiser, “My grandfather on my father’s side worked on the West Coast Dunblane to Oban line and it turns out my great grandfather on my mother’s side was the last ever person to get on the train at Callander, where he was the platform supervisor.
“I thought it was quite a coincidence that I got the first ticket from Alloa and he got the last ticket from Callander.
“They recently opened a new museum at Callander and the ticket is displayed there along with my great grandfather’s name.”
As for the journey itself, Paul said he found it very relaxing compared to his usual bus journey and was delighted to be the first passenger on board.
He went on, “I am not a big train enthusiast by any means but I thought I would get there early to be one of the first on. However, I had no idea that I would be the very first passenger.
“The train journey was really good, definitely more relaxing than the bus and there was a better atmosphere.
“On the whole it turned out to be a really good day and my job interview went well, which was the main thing.
“I think the re-opening of the railway will make a tremendous difference to Alloa and its economy and I think it could be the start of a boom in Clackmannanshire. It can only be a good thing.”
The popularity of the train caused some teething problems at Stirling Station. Due to the number of people using the trains from Alloa, the conductor on board was unable to issue tickets to all passengers before arriving in Stirling, which meant queues built up at the station as people had to buy tickets before being able to pass through the barriers.
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