As a prelude to the introduction of a new timetable next June for train services in Ayrshire and Inverclyde, ScotRail is inviting the public to submit their comments on the proposals.

The consultation opened last Monday, 9 October, and runs until Monday, 20 November 2023.

Ayrshire

The proposed Ayrshire timetable builds on the one introduced last May.

There will be two limited-stop services all day, including evenings, between Ayr and Glasgow, and services to Largs and Ardrossan will continue to call at most stations on the route with extra services in the evenings. This summer, ScotRail trains in Ayrshire saw in increase of over 30 per cent in leisure travel than in the same period last year.

Inverclyde

In December this year, the Sunday service between Gourock and Glasgow will be improved, while on Mondays to Saturdays from June 2024 the new timetable proposes that there will be two fast trains each hour between Gourock and Glasgow and two trains each hour between Wemyss Bay and Glasgow. At peak times on weekdays, there will be extra services between Gourock and Glasgow, whilst in the evenings there will be two trains per hour to Gourock and an hourly service to Wemyss Bay.

Full details of the ScotRail s proposals and consultation can be found here.

Last month, Scotrail launched a consultation for proposed timetable changes in Fife, Perth, and Dundee.

Scott Prentice, ScotRail Head of Business Development, said: “We believe these changes will provide customers across the region with a better rail service and will encourage more people to use public transport and travel sustainably.

“We’re keen to hear what the communities we serve think about our plans. Every response we get will help us better understand what our customers need from their railway.

“These proposals are not the endpoint, we see them as an important step forward on our journey to deliver the best service we can. The timetable will continue to change in response to how current and future customers use the railway.”