More trains and extra carriages are to be laid on for visitors to the Edinburgh festivals this summer, ScotRail confirmed yesterday.
Glasgow visitors to the Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival, the International Book Festival and the Tattoo will be able to catch a train from the capital to Glasgow at half past midnight during the week for the first time.
ScotRail is also putting on extra carriages – last year there were complaints of overcrowding on some trains – and an additional service to Dundee.
Sunday morning services from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh will be also be increased during August.
Combined with the first box office staged by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Glasgow, at Queen Street Station, this year's event may prove to be more amenable to Glasgow audiences: the Fringe hopes so, as only 2.5% of ticket buyers come from Scotland's biggest city.
Kath Mainland, chief executive of the Fringe, said the changes will make a "huge difference" to festival goers.
She added: "The Fringe is the greatest show on earth and we are delighted ScotRail is making it easier for people from all over Scotland to get involved.
"Also, for the first time, we will be selling tickets for all 2965 shows at this year's Fringe through our box office in Glasgow Queen Street station."
Keith Brown, the Scottish transport minister, said: "These additional services provided by ScotRail will make it easier than ever for people to enjoy the festivals without having to worry about getting there and getting home. More and more is being done to ensure the whole of Scotland can take part in the August festivities."
The 00.30 Edinburgh to Glasgow Queen Street service, which ran at weekends only, will now run seven days a week from August 4 to 26 inclusive. It will call at Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk High, Croy, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs.
A service will also depart from Edinburgh every day just after midnight, calling at Linlithgow, Polmont, Falkirk High, Croy, Lenzie and Bishopbriggs. There will be extra trains from Edinburgh to Garscadden in the early hours of Saturdays and Sundays.
There will also be extra Sunday morning services from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
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