Fans travelling to The 150th Open urged not to go by train
Due to the temporary timetable a limited number of services will run to and from Leuchars
The 150th Open tees off in less than a week in St Andrews and fans are being urged not to travel to the event by train.
Due to ScotRail's temporary timetable, a result of their on-going dispute with ASLEF, a limited number of services will run to and from Leuchars.
The competition runs from the 10th to the 17th July in the North East Fife town with Leuchars as the closest railway station.
The R&A say contingency measures will be put in place, including increased capacity at Park and Ride facilities.
Road users are urged to plan ahead with longer journey times expected due to the volume of traffic to and from the town.
Alternative public transport such as buses and taxies will also be available to fans.
Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said, “Due to circumstances out of our control, we have no choice but to urge fans to not travel by rail to The Open and to use alternative means of transport to get to and from St Andrews next week. There is a risk that fans who travel by train may find there are no services to get them home.
“We appreciate that fans will be frustrated by this and share in their disappointment that the enhanced rail service planned for The Open will not operate. We want to reassure fans that we are doing all that we can to make their experience of attending The Open a memorable one and have contingency measures in place to manage the situation.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Head of Customer Operations, said: “We’re doing absolutely everything we can to support travel to the historic 150th Open at the fantastic Old Course at St Andrews, however, we urge fans to plan ahead and consider what alternative transport is available.
“Regrettably, our temporary timetable will still be in place throughout the Championship, which means there will be a very limited number of trains to and from Leuchars – the closest station to the course.
“Space on board these trains are limited, so I’d urge fans to consider alternative modes of transport as there will be significantly long queues at stations and we may not be able to get you to the course.
“We have worked closely with key partners, including the R&A, Fife Council, and Transport Scotland, and will continue to play our part during this major event.”