A transport workers' union is calling for an urgent investigation to be conducted on the fire that gutted Troon Railway Station at the weekend.

RMT, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said the station was "completely unstaffed" at the time of the blaze.

They want the rail health and safety regulator to look into the risks posed by unstaffed stations.

In a letter to the Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser, RMT calls for urgent answers to a suite of questions regarding the health and safety risks of unstaffed stations and whether the extensive damage and subsequent disruption caused to rail services could have been avoided had Troon station been properly staffed.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “The devastating fire at Troon station shines a light on just how dangerous the rail industry’s plans to de-staff our stations are. Unstaffed stations not only discriminate against those with accessibility issues but also pose serious health and safety risks for passengers and other rail workers.

“Station staff play a vital role in helping deliver a safe, secure and accessible railway and it is long overdue that this cost-cutting, profit maximising measure of de-staffing our stations and trains by privatised Train Companies and the rail industry was stopped in its tracks due to glaring and serious health and safety risks.

“Today I have written to the Chief Inspector of Railways demanding he launch an urgent investigation into the Troon Station fire and the wider programme of de-staffing our stations which is only likely to accelerate due to the Government’s and privatised rail industry’s cuts agenda.”

The train line will reopen on Friday but no services will be stopping at Troon because of the damage caused to the station building.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail route director for Scotland, said engineers were working to make the station safe and that investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing.

He said: "The damage was extensive and we must make sure we have carried out all necessary safety checks, and made vital repairs, before we can run trains through this section of track.

"We are working intensively to restore services as quickly as we can on both the overall line and for Troon-based passengers."