The ScotRail Alliance will be helping spectators travel to venues across Scotland for the 2018 European Championships, held between Thursday 2 and Sunday 12 August.
Glasgow is set to host the best of Europe’s sporting talent during the eleven-day event as 52 nations compete across 12 sports.
To help sports fans get where they need to be – whether that be a velodrome, a swimming pool, or a golf course – ScotRail will be putting on more trains, extra carriages, and adding more stops on routes between key tournament venues across Scotland.
With thousands of people from all over Europe expected to watch the Championship events, many services will be busier than usual and customers are asked to plan their journey ahead of travelling.
As with all major events, ScotRail will have additional staff on hand at key stations to ensure that things run smoothly.
Graham Heald, ScotRail Alliance Head of Customer Experience, said:
“I’m delighted to see yet another fantastic sporting event come to Scotland. We’ll be doing all we can to get people to the games, with more trains and extra carriages on key routes.
“However, services are still expected to be busier than usual – especially towards Edinburgh with the festivals beginning next week. We ask that customers buy their tickets and plan their journey in advance.”
Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said:
“It’s great to see Glasgow playing host again to one of the biggest sporting competitions in Europe. Our transport system has earned an excellent reputation from past events such as the Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, so our operators are experienced in getting spectators to venues on time, but also ensuring commuters, residents and tourists can get around with minimal fuss too.
“We want everyone to have an enjoyable time and are working closely with our transport partners to ensure this happens. Plans include extra capacity, services and staff from ScotRail to help things go smoothly. Anyone travelling around the city during the European Championships can play their part by planning journeys in advance using all the available information, such as the ScotRail and ‘Get Ready Glasgow’ social media accounts.
“Given these sporting events coincide with the Edinburgh Festivals we appreciate there may be certain pinch points when the network is very busy. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding during these extremely busy periods.”
Top five tips for Glasgow 2018:
- Buy your ticket before you board. You’ll need a valid ticket for travel, and ticket checks may be in place.
- Check your train times. Remember to leave time to catch any connecting services that you need.
- Listen up! We’ll have extra staff on the ground to help things go smoothly. To help them help you, please listen to their instructions.
- Download the ScotRail app. You can use it to buy tickets, check train times, and see live service information.
- Don’t leave it too late. Services will be busy, and there may be times where you are not able to board your first choice of train.
Notes to editors
- Additional trains will run between Motherwell and Garscadden during the morning of Sunday 5 August for the swimming, gymnastics, and rowing at the Scotstoun Sports Campus, SSE Hydro, and Strathclyde Country Park.
- Several services on Sunday 5 August will call additionally at Dalmarnock – the nearest station to the Emirates Arena – for the cycling.
- An additional train will also run between Garscadden and Airdrie on Sunday 5 August for the cycling.
- A number of services will make an extra stop at Gleneagles between Thursday 7 August and Sunday 12 August for customers attending the golf team championships.
- There will also be an additional early morning service between Glasgow Queen Street, Gleneagles, and Perth on Sunday 12 August – for customers heading to the final round of the golf team championships.
For more information around roads and travel routes during the Championships, visit getreadyglasgow.com or follow @GetReadyGlasgow onTwitter.