MsP demands talks on rail service crisis

MSP Brian Whittle called on South Ayrshire Council bosses to get politicians around the table to discuss the situation at the Station Hotel.

He wants Dumfries and Galloway politicians to attend the summit.

Mr Whittle wants to see more detail about what is going on being made available to the public sooner.

Despite initial hopes that cladding the building in scaffolding would allow train services to be restored south of Ayr before the end of the month, the latest reports suggest that the building’s roof is in a far worse condition than expected.

Mr Whittle said: “It’s clear there’s still a lot of uncertainty around what’s going to happen with the Station Hotel and in communities south of Ayr there’s a real feeling that it’s a case of two steps forward, one step back.

“From the moment the exclusion zone was put in place, I’ve been contacted by constituents who are concerned that they aren’t getting a clear enough picture of what’s going on.

“Of course, the top priority has to be restoring rail services as soon as possible but it’s important that the public have a clear understanding of this process and know what to expect.

“I want politicians to have the chance to speak to the team working on this and get a clear understanding of what the next steps are and what challenges remain.”