MSP WELCOMES STRANRAER TICKET OFFER BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE
Finlay Carson the constituency MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries has welcomed the announcement of a special rail ticket offer for passengers on the Stranraer to Ayr railway.
The public had to deal with many failed attempts to reopen the line after its closure in September 2023 when the Ayr Station Hotel was set on fire, leaving many residents feeling “angry” and “forgotten about”.
“I am delighted that after much delay ScotRail recognise the lengthy disruption to rail travels in Stranraer by offering customers a special offer on fares. It is only right given they waited patiently for some time to see rail services returned.
“Along with my Ayrshire colleague Sharon Dowey MSP I wrote to the rail operator as well as the First Minister John Swinney pressing them to do something for the rail commuters who have been affected by the arson attack at Ayr Station Hotel.”
“It is just unfortunate that it took a little longer to materialise as a result of a temporary timetable being introduced as a direct result of industrial action by the drivers.”
In August this year ScotRail wrote to Carson saying: “Please be assured that we will be running an offer for Stranraer customers, our retail and marketing teams have been working on the details.
“The offer was originally going to be introduced when the full Stranraer timetable was operational in July but, as you will know, we introduced a temporary timetable on Wednesday, 10 July which, unfortunately, means that we haven’t been able to implement the full Stranraer timetable.
Mr Carson continued; ”I hope this is just the start of the work that needs to be done to improve rails services from Stranraer. WE need to see new improved services and facilities to encourage travellers onto our railways.”
“ I have met with Network Rail and Scotrail in recent weeks to raise concerns about rising rail fares and the poor state of the station and its surroundings. I will be meeting them again in the coming days.
Customers travelling to or from Stranraer station will be able to take advantage of a two for one ticket offer from next week (Monday, 18 November).
The offer aims to encourage more people to travel in the area, after it had been significantly impacted as a result of the fire at the former Station Hotel in Ayr.
This was a challenging time for customers, and as a thank you for their patience, ScotRail is providing people with the opportunity to claim a free ticket for a friend or family member between 18 November 2024 and 31 January 2025.
The offer is valid on all ScotRail services to or from Stranraer, Barrhill, Girvan, and Maybole stations, and customers will be able to download a voucher and present it along with a valid rail ticket when travelling.
For further information on the offer, and how to take advantage during the offer period, please visit the ScotRail website.
Claire Dickie, ScotRail Commercial Director, said:
"This is a fantastic offer for our customers, and will allow people travelling to and from Stranraer, Barrhill, Girvan, and Maybole stations to claim a free ticket for family or friends.
“We know that the disruption caused by the fire at the former Station Hotel in Ayr had a significant impact on people in the area.
“The offer is an opportunity for us to thank everyone for the patience they showed during that disruption, and we look forward to welcoming people on board.”
