Golf fans attending The Open in St Andrews face travel chaos due to the ongoing rail dispute.
Spectators travelling to St Andrews have been urged not to travel by train.
ScotRail has warned a vastly reduced number of services will mean long queues at stations.
And it cannot guarantee it will be able to get everyone to the Old Course.
Meanwhile, the R&A, which organises the prestigious competition, fears those who do manage to get a train won’t be able to get one home again.
And it says it has no choice but to ask people to drive or use alternative public transport.
A record 300,000 fans are expected to descend on the Fife town during the competition, leading to fears of gridlock on surrounding roads.
St Andrews councillor Jane Ann Liston said: “I think this is the first time I have seen a rail company saying in effect ‘don’t take the train.’
“I very much fear that as a result St Andrews will be swamped by even more cars than usual.”
‘We may not be able to get you to the course’
Trains from Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh to Leuchars will operate roughly once an hour on championship days – July 14 to 17.
However, contingency measures including increased park and ride facilities will be in place.
Park and ride tickets should be bought in advance to minimise waiting times.
R&A director of championships Johnnie Cole-Hamilton said: “Due to circumstances out of our control, we have no choice but to urge fans to not travel by rail to The Open and to use alternative means of transport to get to and from St Andrews next week.
“There is a risk that fans who travel by train may find there are no services to get them home.”
He added: “We appreciate fans will be frustrated by this and share in their disappointment that the enhanced rail service planned for The Open will not operate.
“We want to reassure fans that we are doing all we can to make their experience of attending The Open a memorable one and have contingency measures in place to manage the situation.”
ScotRail says it is doing everything it can to support travel to The Open.
Phil Campbell, head of customer operations, said: “Regrettably, our temporary timetable will still be in place throughout the championship, which means there will be a very limited number of trains to and from Leuchars.
“Space on board these trains are limited so I’d urge fans to consider alternative modes of transport as there will be significantly long queues at stations and we may not be able to get you to the course.”
How can golf fans get to The Open Championship
Fans and local residents are being told to plan ahead.
Drivers are instructed to follow road signs on designated routes into and out of the town.
These will be prioritised by police to help people access park and rides and sat nav should not be used.
Alternative public transport, including buses and taxis, is also available.
More information on bus services can be found online via Stagecoach and Moffat and Williamson.
A designated taxi rank and private hire drop off and pick up area will be in operation at Petheram Bridge, within walking distance of the course.
ScotRail introduced its temporary timetable on May 23 as a result of a significant number of drivers refusing to work overtime or on rest days.
Drivers have been balloted on a new pay deal and the result of the vote will be announced on Monday.
However, even if it is accepted, it will take some time to restore services.
The Open at St Andrews: Full list of road closures and restrictions
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