ScotRail is urging fans to plan ahead for Scotland’s first match in the men’s rugby union Famous Grouse Nations Series this weekend.

Scotland will play Italy at Murrayfield stadium on Saturday 29 July, kicking off at 3.15pm.

The operator is adding more seats to trains on routes in and out of Edinburgh Waverley station. It is encouraging passengers to buy their tickets through the ScotRail app as part of the mTickets system. This enables them to get their ticket from home, or on the way to the station, and it will become available on their mobile device immediately.

Access to Haymarket station is restricted due to the redevelopment of a next-door building not owned by ScotRail. Fans can join the holding area on Haymarket Terrace after the match finished, from where staff will direct them to the appropriate queue. Alternatively, passengers may choose to use a different station.

ScotRail will deploy extra staff to assist passengers. The operator is reminding everyone that carrying and consuming alcohol is prohibited on its trains or in its stations.

Fans may choose to travel using Edinburgh Trams, which runs a fast and frequent service between Murrayfield’s stadium entrance and destinations including Edinburgh Gateway, Edinburgh Park, and St Andrew Square tram stop, which is a short walk from Edinburgh Waverley Station.

Additionally, Edinburgh City Centre can be accessed from Scottish Gas Murrayfield through several Lothian Bus services, including routes 1, 3, 12, 22, 25, 26, 30, 31, or 33.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail Head of Customer Operations, said: “We’re really looking forward to helping rugby fans travel to and from Murrayfield this weekend as Scotland get their Nations Series underway against Italy.

“To help fans travel to and from the match, we’re adding more seats to trains in and out of Edinburgh throughout the day, but customers should plan ahead and allow more time for travel as trains will be busier than normal.

“To make their journey as smooth as possible, I’d encourage everyone to purchase their train tickets before boarding. The mTicket system, available on the ScotRail app, offers a convenient way to secure your tickets and download them straight to your mobile phone, avoiding any unnecessary queues on the day.”