Rail passengers face two weeks of disruption as a busy route is closed for £13.5million of track upgrades. ScotRail services connecting Glasgow Central with Kilmarnock, Dumfries, Carlisle and Stranraer will be affected by major engineering works from this weekend.
Replacement buses from August 29
Replacement buses will operate on several routes from Saturday, August 29, while Network Rail carries out improvements around Kilmarnock station. The works are designed to remove existing restrictions on the railway which currently mean trains have to slow down as they pass through the station.
Services between Barrhead and Kilmarnock and Dumfries will be replaced by buses between August 29 and September 11. On the Kilmarnock to Stranraer route, replacement buses will run between Kilmarnock and Troon from Monday to Saturday.
Sunday closures and September changes
Passengers travelling from Troon will then be able to connect with trains running to and from Ayr. There will be no scheduled train services between Kilmarnock and Ayr or Stranraer on Sundays during the works.
On Saturday, September 12, buses will replace trains between Barrhead and Kilmarnock and Carlisle. There will again be no scheduled services between Kilmarnock and Ayr or Stranraer on Sunday, September 13.
Track modernisation at Kilmarnock
Network Rail is investing £13.5million in the project, which will see the track layout through Kilmarnock station modernised. Engineers will upgrade the track leading into platforms three and four from the south, allowing trains to enter the station at higher speeds.
Parts of the track used by southbound trains leaving platform four will also be rebuilt and simplified. The changes are expected to reduce wear on railway equipment and improve reliability. On platform three, a section of track used by trains changing lines will be moved further away from the station. Network Rail says this will give southbound services a smoother and faster route out of Kilmarnock.
