All ScotRail services between Glasgow and Ayr will be running normally again from tomorrow, Friday, 30 July, after the line was closed following a devastating fire at Troon station.
Both platforms will be open for the first time in just under two weeks after Network Rail engineers put in place special supports for beams over the tracks to which overhead line equipment is attached. New overhead power cables were also installed.
Platform two at Troon has been open since Monday, 26 July and it has taken another four days for platform one, which was worst affected by the fire, to become operational.
Temporary toilets, including one for accessible use, are available for customers.
Currently, tickets are not being sold at Troon so ScotRail is advising customers to buy their ticket before boarding the train and consult the train operator’s social media channels for up-to-date information.
Customers can also purchase tickets through the ScotRail app as part of the mTickets system. This means people can buy their tickets from the comfort of their home, or on the way to the station and it will instantly become available on their mobile devices.
The tickets, which use a barcode (similar to a QR code), are activated when the customer is ready to travel and will be scanned at the ticket gates prior to boarding, so there’s no need to print them.
Passengers are also being reminded to observe the five rules for safer travel which include wearing a face-covering unless medically exempt and maintaining physical distancing of at least a meter in stations and on-board trains.
If customers think the train is too busy then they should wait for the next service.
David Simpson, ScotRail’s Operations Director, said:
“We are delighted to be able to reopen both platforms at Troon after the fire that destroyed so many of the station buildings forced Network Rail to close the line.
“We’re sure passengers understand how difficult it’s been to restore services given the extreme circumstances of what happened.
“It’s been a real team effort by Scotland’s Railway to get trains running normally again between Glasgow and Ayr less than two weeks after the blaze.”