HUNDREDS of extra carriages and late trains will be provided for Glaswegians travelling to the Edinburgh festivals this summer.

However, ScotRail managing director Steve Montgomery, warned that although the company would be using all carriages available, services from the capital would still be busy, especially the last train home.

The new festival timetable has 15 extra trains linking Edinburgh with Stirling on Sunday, a new late-night train to Glenrothes with Thornton, and six more Sunday trains on the Edinburgh to Helensburgh route.

The timetable includes late-night trains to Glasgow – leaving Edinburgh at 00.01 and 00.30 daily – as well as an extra service to Dundee and additional night-time trains to North Berwick and Garscadden.

ScotRail said customers travelling to and from the festivals would also benefit from extra carriages on many existing services."

Mr Montgomery said: "We have continued to expand the festivals timetable – new services for Fife, Stirling and the West of Scotland – so that even more customers can enjoy the exciting events in the capital.

"We will use all carriages available to us, but we know that some services – particularly last trains home – will still be busy.

"I would encourage festival-goers to help their journeys run smoothly by buying tickets in advance."

Fringe festival tickets will be sold at a box office at Glasgow Queen Street station between July 26 and August 26, after its introduction last year led to a rise in Fringe ticket sales from customers in Glasgow.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "The extra services will make it easier for festival-goers to enjoy the very best the city has to offer during August."

Kath Mainland, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "We are delighted that ScotRail are once again providing additional train services to and from Edinburgh during the Fringe."

Additional late-night services from Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street via Falkirk High will operate seven days a week from August 2 to 24.