TRAIN services will return to normal tomorrow as Scotrail now has access to the Townhead Depot which will operate as a temporary platform.

This will allow full services to resume south of Ayr to Girvan and Stranraer.

The privately-owned station hotel building was deemed unsafe earlier this year causing mass disruption to rail services. An exclusion zone was put in place at Ayr station limiting services in and out of the town to protect members of the public from potential hazards such as falling debris.

The Townhead Depot was suggested as a solution to the disruption and the Scotail Alliance can confirm this will now be in place as of tomorrow, December 20. The temporary station facilities and ticket office remain in place.

ScotRail Alliance Sustainability & Safety Assurance Director David Lister said: “We know it has been a challenging time for our customers, so we are really pleased to be able to restore a full service at Ayr.

“South Ayrshire Council, colleagues at ScotRail and Network Rail, and our task force partners have done fantastically well to get all services to and from Ayr back to normal in what was an extremely challenging situation.” 

Ayr Advertiser: Map of where temporary station is locatedMap of where temporary station is located

Chair of the Ayr Station Taskforce Group Bill Reeve said: “This is welcome news for passengers and the business communities in and around Ayrshire, who can now enjoy the full restoration of longer trains between the town and Glasgow Central as well as fully restored services to Girvan and Stranraer.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience during this challenging time, as well as the partners within the Taskforce for their commitment to finding a safe solution as quickly as possible.”

The successful encapsulation of the former hotel building means ScotRail can now access Ayr Townhead Depot and begin to safely operate trains through the station.

Customers are encouraged to download the ScotRail app for the most up to date train information.