New services and route extensions across Stagecoach bus networks in Ayrshire have now kicked in.

Highlights of the new services include a route extension to University Hospital Ayr, and new evening services across local and express networks.

There will also be a new frequent bus service connecting beachfront residents to Ayr town centre, and improved reliability and punctuality across more than 40 services.

As part of the changes, the X77 between Ayr and Glasgow is now operating every 20 minutes during the day, while late night weekend services on the same route have also been reintroduced - with 1am departures from Glasgow on Friday and Saturday nights (actually early on Saturday and Sunday mornings).

Elsewhere, a new town service in Ayr - numbered route 2A - is now in operation, linking Carrick Street with the Citadel and the seafront. 

And service 14 (Irvine-Troon-Ayr) has had a route extension, and will now continue beyond Ayr town centre to provide a direct link to and from University Hospital Ayr.

Customers travelling locally will benefit from later bus services after 6pm and on a Sunday.

Express services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Dumfries will also benefit from late night services.

And an amended and improved Sunday timetable is now in place on service 585 (Ayr-Irvine-Largs), with later services to and from Largs.

Timetable improvements include changes to...

Ayrshire services: 585/A, X36, 25, 18, 12, X77, X76, 14, 52, 42, 43, 43A, 321, 322, 323A, 324, 23, 28/A

Ayr local services: 1, 2, 6

Kilmarnock local services: 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10/110, 11, 50/76

Fiona Doherty, managing director at Stagecoach West Scotland, said: “We have worked to adjust our timetables to better meet the needs and travel habits of our customers.

"We know that some of our customers have experienced issues with reliability of our bus services, we hope that by making these small adjustments we can greatly improve our service delivery.

"We’re also increasing frequency and introducing evening services where we have seen demand.”

For full details and a copy of the new timetables, visit stagecoachbus.com.