SCOTRAIL has announced details of its festive timetable, giving rail users in Helensburgh guidance on how to get home, or out and about, over the festive season.

The final direct train to Helensburgh Central on Christmas Eve will leave Edinburgh Waverley at 7.53pm.

It will pass through Glasgow Queen Street at 9.19pm and Dumbarton Central at 9.56pm, and arriving in Helensburgh at 10.13pm.

But if you are making your way back from Edinburgh, you can also get the 8pm train from Waverley to Queen Street high level, and link up with the 9.19pm 'low level' service.

The final train to Helensburgh Upper on Christmas Eve will depart from Glasgow Queen Street high level at 6.22pm, calling at Dumbarton Central at 6.50pm.

The last trains from Helensburgh Central on Christmas Eve are at 7.32pm to Edinburgh, 8.32pm to Bathgate, and 9.02pm to Airdrie.

But the final train from Helensburgh Upper to Glasgow Queen Street high level is as late as 10.49pm, arriving at Dumbarton Central at 11.02pm and Glasgow Queen Street high level at 11.26pm.

There will be no trains on Christmas Day, and on Boxing Day trains from Helensburgh Central will only go directly as far as Bathgate. The first of those leaves at 8.54am, reaching Glasgow Queen Street at 9.37am, though if you're heading to Edinburgh you'll need to change trains at Queen Street.

However, there are no trains to or from Helensburgh Upper station on Boxing Day.

A normal service will operate from Thursday, December 27 to Sunday, December 30 inclusive, and on Hogmanay, the same 'early finish' times will apply again on all lines.

Staff get to put their feet up again on New Year's Day, while on Wednesday, January 2, the first Helensburgh to Edinburgh service will depart at 8.54am.

There will also be trains to and from Helensburgh Upper on January 2, but there will be no trains from there to Glasgow Queen Street until 2.43pm.

Normal service is resumed again from Thursday, January 3.