LONDON North Eastern Railway (LNER) has doubled the number of services running to and from Leuchars to help golf fans attend the 150th Open Championship in St Andrews.
Fonded in 1860, the Open is one of the four major men’s golf tournaments, along with the Masters, the PGA Championship and US Open. Hosted by the Old Course, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, this year’s Open is shaping up to be the largest in the championship’s history, with a record-breaking 290,000 spectators expected over the seven days it is held after a reported 1.3 million people applied for tickets.
Due to this demand, LNER has laid on four extra services between Edinburgh and Dundee and stopping a Leuchars until the Open concludes on 17 July.
Despite the provision of extra trains, LNER nevertheless recommend that those planning to travel to the championship plan ahead, use their online reservation tool, and allow extra time for boarding and ticket checks.
Much anticipation among golf fans has been aroused by the return of Tiger Woods - who first lifted the Claret Jug at the Open in 2000 - and Robert MacIntyre, who is considered to be Scotland’s best hope for securing victory in the championship.
The Open is expected to continue unaffected by adverse weather, with forecasts predicting dry, sunny spells for the duration, following Sunday’s heatwave which saw the temperature peak at 29.3 degrees celsius - the highest recorded temperature in St Andrews ever in July.
Details of LNER’s extra services to Leuchars for the 150th Open can be found on their website.
