TEN weeks after the fire which damaged the structure of Ayr’s Station Hotel, plus the adjacent overhead line equipment, a limited diesel shuttle was introduced on December 4.
Since September 25, Ayr has been isolated from the network because of a safe exclusion zone around the station and hotel.
This half-hourly service covers the three miles to Prestwick Town, with an intermediate call at Newton-on-Ayr.
At Prestwick Town, passengers transfer to ScotRail electric service onwards to Glasgow Central. A bus service is supplementing the rail shuttle to Prestwick, and buses are also serving stations to Stranraer until further notice.
The revised rail operation involves using platform 4 at Ayr for the Prestwick service, then after Prestwick Town the empty unit runs forward to Barassie Jct in order to reverse. Electric units from Glasgow which terminate at Prestwick are reversing at Falkland Yard sidings.
Negotiations
Since the fire, scaffolding has been erected to support the fire-ravaged structure, while negotiations by several organisations led by SAVE Britain’s Heritage continue with South Ayrshire Council in a bid to stave off demolition of the hotel with the aim of securing a future for the Grade B listed building.
However, some demolition took place over the weekend of December 2-3, raising wider concerns for the rest of the building.
In a statement,
