SCOTRAIL has been slammed over changes to the Largs train timetable to accommodate extra train services for the Open golf championship in Troon.
For all four days of competition at the major sporting event, from July 18 to 21, people travelling between Largs and Glasgow, in both directions, will have to change trains at Kilwinning, with a four minute wait between connecting services.
The timetable change has been implemented by ScotRail so that it can provide extra capacity for the large number of people expected to travel by train to watch the golf tournament at Royal Troon.
Services to and from Ardrossan Harbour will also start and terminate at Kilwinning.
Two members of Largs Community Council hit out at the train operator's decision.
Wendy Low Thomson said: "This is shocking. It is bad enough that we have the train service that we do - they should be putting on extra trains not cutting our services during peak season.
Wendy Low Thomson has slammed rail changes for Largs line during Open weekend (Image: Newsquest)
"This is going to affect everyone coming to and from Largs by train. It really is unacceptable at such a busy period of year.
"I can understand ScotRail providing extra trains for The Open but it shouldn't be at the expense of our own route during such a busy period."
Fellow LCC member Jamie Black said: "It's disappointing that ScotRail have hade a unilateral decision to change the timetable at short notice, with a real detriment to people on the Largs line who will have to wait 10 minutes to catch what will likely already be a busy train from Ayr.
"I do accept it's only for a limited period, but the lack of any engagement at all with the community or notice, especially when we've had a very productive recent meeting, is disappointing."
Almost all services to and from Largs during the four days of competition at the Open will start and terminate at Kilwinning, where a regular 15-minute service will run to and from Glasgow.
The only trains from Largs which will run all the way to Glasgow on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are those which leave Largs at 2207 and 2253.
On Sunday, only the last train of the day, leaving Largs at 2202, will run all the way to Glasgow Central.
All other Largs services on all four days of the event will only run as far as Kilwinning.
In the other direction, people travelling from Glasgow to Largs can board services at Glasgow Central at the usual times (mostly 45 minutes past each hour) - but those services will run to Ayr, instead of to Largs, with passengers having to change to a connecting train at Kilwinning.
The only direct trains from Glasgow to Largs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday leave Glasgow Central at 2145, 2245 and 2314, though on Friday the 2314 service will depart at 2345.
There will be no direct trains at all from Glasgow to Largs on Sunday.
Trains will return to their normal times on Monday July 22.
The reason behind the change is that there isn’t enough capacity on the track to run all the trains, and, in order to accommodate these extra services it has been necessary to temporarily withdraw the Glasgow - Largs service at Kilwinning, where customers will have to change onto a service between Ayr and Glasgow Central.
A ScotRail spokesperson said: “With The Open returning once again to Royal Troon, Scotland is very much on the international stage, and ScotRail is doing everything it can to support the event.
“While the Championship takes place, customers travelling between Largs and Glasgow will be required to change trains at Kilwinning.
“This is a temporary arrangement, running over four days from Thursday, 18 July and Sunday, 21 July, and we thank our customers for their patience and co-operation during this time.”
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