ScotRail is encouraging fans travelling to this week's Scotland match at Hampden Park to plan ahead.
Scotland take on Poland in a friendly international match on Thursday, 24 March (7.45pm KO) following the postponement of the national team’s World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine.
Major improvement works between Rutherglen and Exhibition Centre will impact customers travelling to and from the city centre on services which would normally operate via Glasgow Central Low Level.
Many services will be diverted into Glasgow Central High Level or Glasgow Queen Street Low Level resulting in slightly longer journey times.
A replacement bus service is in operation from Carmyle, Newton, Cambuslang, Rutherglen, Dalmarnock, Bridgeton, Glasgow Central, Exhibition Centre, and Partick, however space is limited.
First Glasgow is also providing extra capacity on their bus services between the city centre, Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, and Rutherglen throughout the improvement works.
Customers travelling to Hampden Park will benefit from more services and more seats on trains to Mount Florida - the closest station to the ground.
The train operator is advising supporters heading to the game to allow additional time for travel as services will still be busy and a queuing system will be in place at Glasgow Central before the match.
Fans are asked to head back to the station as quickly as possible after the final whistle as queuing system will be in place at Mount Florida. Customers are also reminded that onward connections are not guaranteed.
Regular customers should be aware that trains from Glasgow Central to Mount Florida and Kings Park will be much busier than normal prior to the match.
To help everyone’s journey go smoothly, football fans are asked to buy their return tickets to Mount Florida in advance through the ScotRail app as part of the mTickets system to avoid additional queuing on the day.
Buying tickets through the mTickets system means people can buy their tickets from the comfort of their home or on the way to the station and it will instantly become available on their mobile device.
ScotRail is also urging anyone travelling on Scotland’s Railway to stay safe by continuing to follow Scottish Government guidelines.
This includes maintaining good hand hygiene and the mandatory wearing of a face covering for the entirety of their journey, which includes on trains and in stations – both enclosed and open-air platforms. Customers are also asked to take a lateral flow test before travelling.
The carrying and consumption of alcohol is prohibited on ScotRail services.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Head of Customer Operations, said:
“If you’re going to the match, please plan ahead and allow more time for travel as trains will be busy.
“We’re doing all we can to help supporters travel to the game as hassle-free as possible, which includes more seats on train services to and from Mount Florida.
“Customers who use services through Glasgow Central Low Level may see longer journey times due to major engineering work by Network Rail so we're asking customers to plan ahead.
"A queuing system will be in place at before and after the match so please head back to the station as quickly as you can, and make sure you know your train times if you have an onward connection to make. Buying your return tickets in advance through our mTicket system will reduce your need to queue.
"We would like to thank our customers for their understanding while this major improvement work takes place.”
Notes
ScotRail’s top tips for travelling to Scotland matches:
- Buy your return ticket before you board. You’ll need a valid ticket for travel and checks will be in place at many stations.
- Check your train times. Remember to leave plenty of 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 – there will be queuing systems at key stations before and after the game. Services will be busy, and you might not be able to board your first choice of train.