Fans let-down by lack of trains

RUGBY fans have expressed disappointment that there’s no train services from the region that fit with Sunday’s match at Edinburgh.

Scotland meet Tonga at Murrayfield tomorrow, with a 1.40 pm kick off.

However, the only train from Lockerbie doesn’t arrive at Haymarket Station until 1.38 pm.

Furthermore, there’s nothing at all direct from Annan or Dumfries to the capital.

Fan fury was further exacerbated by a ScotRail advert this week saying they had more seats and more services for the match and were ‘ready to help thousands of rugby fans travel to the capital’.

Commenting, a ScotRail spokesman said: “ScotRail doesn’t operate any services to or from Lockerbie.

“ScotRail also has no timetabled services between Annan or Dumfries and Edinburgh Waverley. Services operate via Carlisle (from Annan or Dumfries) or Glasgow Central (from Dumfries).

“Unfortunately, ScotRail is unable to operate earlier services from Annan or Dumfries on a Sunday due to the signal box opening times. Network Rail have more details on that.”

Meanwhile, Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell has expressed his disappointment and said: “There’s no consideration for people in the south of Scotland in terms of this initiative.

“It’s a failure to understand the timetable and services that people here have to use. It’s not Scotland’s railway if it does not include the whole of the country.”