The timing of the visit coincided with the building becoming wind and water-tight and Ms. Brown was given a first look at the interior of the new facility.

A new ticket office and spacious waiting area, as well as a ‘changing places’ facility for people with disabilities and their carers to use, are being built as part of the project.

Significant progress has been made in recent weeks with the installation of trusses – the framework supporting the roofs – as well as slate and lead work on the roofs. External concrete blockwork has also been positioned to create the walls of the building.

Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, said: “I am delighted to see the progress that has been made on the rebuild since I first visited the site back in October last year to ‘break ground’ on the project.

“The community is really looking forward to the return of their station and seeing a building in place is a visible sign of this becoming a reality.

“Hearing about and seeing the plans for the internal fit-out give me reassurance that what is being created here offers significantly improved facilities for the many visitors to the town and delivers on the community’s aspirations for the rebuilt station.”

Helen Agnew, Network Rail’s project manager, added: “It was great to welcome Ms. Brown back to site and give her the first chance to see inside the newly wind and water-tight building.

“Being so close to the platform and overlooked by the station bridge means that the project always has an interested audience and the reaction of the community has been overwhelmingly positive as the new building has taken shape.

“The building looks substantial from the outside and feels big inside. While it mirrors the building on platform two from the outside, we have the chance to create an internal layout which will work better for the station operationally while also better serving the needs of people travelling on our railway.”

The platform one building and canopy were destroyed in the 2021 fire which ravaged the station and Network Rail has worked with ScotRail, local and central government, wider stakeholders and the community to develop the design of the reconstructed building.

As part of the next phase of work, the focus will move to the internal fit-out and the installation of the ceilings, walls and partition walls.