Ayrshire train lines could be hit with speed restrictions on Thursday with Storm Pia set to batter the country. 

Winds of up to 80mph are expected across parts of the country overnight, with strong winds continuing during the day. 

A number of line closures have been put in place in the north of the country, and speed restrictions could impact central belt and south-west Scotland lines.

Passengers are being advised to allow more time for their journey and to check with their train operator before travelling.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland’s route director, said: “The safety of customers and colleagues is our first priority and that’s why we’ve stopped some trains from running on Thursday morning and slowed others down.

“High winds can cause trees and other debris to fall on to the track with the potential to damage our infrastructure and block lines.

"It’s important that we assess the impact of the severe weather before reopening lines and removing restrictions.

“We will reopen the affected routes as quickly as we can for our customers, but are urging passengers to check their journey before traveling.”

David Simpson, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “Services on some routes will be significantly impacted by Storm Pia, and in addition to some cancellations on the routes most impacted, customers can expect short notice changes to their journeys.

“We will be working closely with our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland to ensure we are able to keep people moving as much as possible, but customers should also expect that their journeys will take longer than usual.

“We realise that many people will be travelling to see family and friends as Christmas approaches, and we would urge them to check their journey before they travel, on the ScotRail app, website, or social media channels.”