Limited rail services to resume from Ayr station after hotel fire
- Published
The station has been out of use since a fire gutted the building, leaving it unsafe.
ScotRail has confirmed that limited services will resume from Ayr station next week - two months after a fire at the former Station Hotel.
The station and several roads around it have been shut since the blaze on 25 September.
From Monday, ScotRail will operate a half-hourly service between Ayr and Prestwick Town - then connecting with existing services to Glasgow Central.
The road closures are expected to continue until 10 January.
The rail shuttle services will operate in and out of Platform 4 at Ayr station.
ScotRail is advising customers to check their journey before they travel, and consult its social media channels for up-to-date information.
David Simpson, ScotRail's service delivery director, said: "The devastating fire at the former station hotel has had a significant impact on ScotRail services in the south-west of Scotland.
"Our immediate focus was on ensuring the safety of our passengers and putting in alternative travel and rail services as quickly as possible.
"We are continuing to work with South Ayrshire Council, Network Rail, and other partners to restore services in full as soon as possible."
The fire was the second at the station in two months
South Ayrshire Council has said part, or all, of the former hotel may need to be demolished after being extensively damaged in the blaze.
It has introduced free parking in the town centre which will remain in place until 7 January.
Three boys, two aged 13 and one aged 17, have been charged with wilful fire raising over the September blaze.
It was the second fire at the hotel in four months after a previous incident in May.
The hotel fell into disrepair in recent years after its "absentee owner", external failed to maintain the building or respond to enforcement action.
In 2018, a dangerous building notice was issued and the former hotel was wrapped in a protective scaffolding.