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[edit] Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway

Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
logo
Locale Scotland
Dates of operation 5 August 183928 October 1850
Successor line Glasgow and South Western Railway
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in)
Length 33 miles (Paisley to Ayr - 1840)
Headquarters Bridge Street, Glasgow
LUECKE
  Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway
STRrg ABZrf
Wallneuk Junction
CPICl CPICr
Paisley Gilmour Street
LUECKE STR
  Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway
STR exLUECKE
  Paisley Canal Line
exHLUECKE eKRZo exKRZo exHLUECKE
  Paisley and Barrhead District Railway   
eABZrg exSTRrf
Elderslie East Junction
eBHF
Elderslie
exSTRrg eABZrf
Elderslie West Junction
exABZrg eABZlg
Johnstone Junction
exSTRrg exABZrf STR
Cart Junction
exLUECKE exSTR STR
  Bridge of Weir Railway
exLUECKE STR
  Dalry and North Johnstone Line
BHF
Johnstone
BHF
Milliken Park
BHF
Howwood
BHF
Lochwinnoch
eBHF
Beith
exHLUECKE eKRZu exHLUECKE
  Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway   
BHF
Glengarnock
exLUECKE STR
  Dalry and North Johnstone Line
exSTRlf eABZlg
Brownhill Junction
BHF
Dalry
eBHF
Dalry Junction
eABZlf exSTRlg
Dalry Junction
STRrg ABZrf exSTR
Kilwinning Junction
CPICl CPICr exSTR
Kilwinning
STRrg STRrf STR exSTR
ABZrg STRlg STR exSTR
Dubbs Junction
LUECKE STR STR exSTR
  Ardrossan Railway
exHLUECKE eKRZo eKRZu exKRZu exHLUECKE
  Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway   
STRlf ABZlg exSTR
Byrehill Junction
eBHF exSTR
Bogside
STR exBHF
Montgreenan
STR exBHF
Cunninghamhead
BHF exSTR
Irvine
STRrg xABZrf exSTR
Irvine Junction
STR exBHF exSTR
Dreghorn
STR exBHF exSTR
Springside
STR exCPICl exCPICr
Crosshouse
STR exSTRlf exABZlg
Busby Junction
STR exSTR LUECKE
  Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway
STR xABZrg STRrf
Kilmarnock North Junction
STR STRrg ABZlg
STR STR BHF
Kilmarnock
STR eABZrg ABZrf
Riccarton Junction
STR LUECKE STR
  Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
STR BHF
Hurlford
STR eABZlf exSTRlg
Hurlford Junction
STR STR exLUECKE
  Darvel Branch
eBHF STR
Gailes
STR LUECKE STR
  Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
CPICl eCPICr STR
Barassie
STRlf ABZlg STRlf STRlg
Barassie Junction
STRrg xABZrf STR
BHF exSTR STR
Troon (new) (Troon Loop Line)
STR exBHF STR
Troon (old)
STRlf xABZlg STR
Lochgreen Junction
eBHF STR
Monkton
eABZlf exSTRlg STR
Monkton South Junction
STR exLUECKE STR
  Ayr to Mauchline Branch
BHF STR
Prestwick
exSTRrg eABZrf STR
Falkland Junction
exSTR LUECKE STR
  Ayr and Dalmellington Railway
exKBFe STR
Ayr (old)
LUECKE STR
  Ayr to Mauchline Branch
eCPICl eCPICr
Mauchline
STRlf ABZlg
Mauchline Junction
STRrg xABZrf
Brackenhill Junction
STR exKBFe
Catrine (Catrine Branch)
BHF
Auchinleck
eABZlf exSTRlg
Auchinleck Junction
eBHF exSTR
Cumnock
LUECKE exSTR
  Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway
exBHF
Commondyke
exBHF
Lugar
exHLUECKE exHSTR exABZlg
Cronberry Junction   Ayr to Mauchline Branch
exBHF
Cronberry
exBHF
Muirkirk
exSTRrg exABZrf
Muirkirk Junction
exSTR exLUECKE
  Spireslack Branch (CR)
exLUECKE
  Muirkirk Branch (CR)

The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&AR) was a railway in Scotland that provided services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr.

[edit] History

[edit] 1839-50: Early days

The railway first opened on 5 August 1839 between Ayr and Irvine,[1] to Kilwinning on 23 March 1840,[2] to Beith on 21 July 1840,[2] allowing more direct passenger services from Kilmarnock to Ardrossan (via the Ardrossan Railway). On 16 July 1846 the GPK&AR took over control of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway,[3] and in 1847 the company bought the Paisley and Renfrew Railway,[4][5] however the sale would not be completed until 31 July 1852.[6]

The GPK&AR also co-owned the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, which was operated as a joint undertaking with the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway (later part of the Caledonian Railway). This line allowed trains access to Glasgow Bridge Street railway station: the original terminus at Glasgow.

The last line to open by the original company was a branch to Muirkirk from Auchinleck on 9 August 1848.[7] The railway amalgamated with the Glasgow, Dumfries and Carlisle Railway (GD&CR) on 28 October 1850 to form the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR).

Stations opened and closed during this period[8]
Date Stations opened
5 August 1839 Ayr, Barassie, Irvine, Monkton, Prestwick, Troon
23 March 1840 Bogside, Dalry, Kilwinning
21 July 1840 Beith, Cochrane Mill, Elderslie, Glengarnock, Howood, Johnstone, Paisley Gilmour St
12 August 1840 Lochwinnoch
4 April 1843 Busby, Dalry Junction, Stewarton
28 May 1848 Dreghorn[9]
9 August 1848 Auchinleck, Commondyke, Cronberry, Hurlfold, Lugar, Mauchline, Muirkirk
20 May 1850 Cumnock
Date Stations closed
11 August 1840 Howood
22 May 1848 Stewarton
15 April 1850 Busby

[edit] 1850-1923: Glasgow and South Western days

Under the control of the Glasgow and South Western Railway, the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway had several of its stations closed, and several new ones opened. Some stations, such as Stewarton (later called Cunninghamhead) were closed and then reopened again some years later. A new station in Ayr was built in 1857 by the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway (who were absorbed by the G&SWR the following year), which became the new terminus for trains in the town, and as a result the original Ayr station was closed to passengers (but remained open for goods traffic).[citation needed]

Trains continued to run via the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Line (under the joint management of the Glasgow and South Western and Caledonian Railways) to Bridge Street station, which remained the Glasgow terminus of both companies until 1883. The City of Glasgow Union Railway opened St Enoch railway station in 1876; in 1883 it became the headquarters of the G&SWR, and a result all G&SWR passenger services were moved to St Enoch railway station. From Shields Junction, G&SWR trains traversed the City of Glasgow Union Railway to reach St Enoch railway station.

In 1892 a new Troon station was built much nearer the centre of the town. The original Troon station was closed and its line became a means of bypassing the loop built for the new station.[10] The line was closed on 18 April 1966,[10] with Glasgow trains being forced to use the newer line to reach Ayr, and vice versa.

Various extensions and additional lines were added to the former GPK&AR during the Glasgow and South Western era: a line between Ayr and Mauchline was opened on 1 July 1870,[11] with a connecting line to Cronberry opening on 1 July 1882;[11] a branch to Darvel was opened south-east of Kilmarnock on 1 June 1896,[12] a short branch to Catrine from Mauchline was opened on 1 September 1903,[13], and an alternate route from Johnstone was Dalry was opened on 1 June 1905.[14]

In 1923, the Glasgow and South Western Railway merged with six other major companies (and several other smaller companies) to form the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

Stations opened and closed during this period[8]
Date Stations opened
November 1850 Stewarton (later Cunninghamhead)
5 August 1859 Gailes, Monkton
1 September 1872 Crosshouse (previously Busby)
1 December 1876 Howwood (previously Howood)
1 February 1878 Montgreenan[15]
1890 Springside[9]
2 May 1892 Troon (new)
Date Stations closed
1 July 1857 Ayr
2 January 1860 Dalry Junction
2 May 1892 Troon (old)

[edit] 1923-48: 'LMS' days

Stations closed during this period[8]
Date Stations closed
28 October 1940 Monkton

[edit] 1948-94: Nationalisation and line closures

With the advent of nationalisation in 1948, ownership of the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway fell to British Railways. Two years later the first of several line closures began with the line between Auchinleck and Cronberry closing to passenger traffic on 3 July 1950.[16] However in 1951 services were reinstated for two weeks to accommodate trains travelling from Edinburgh to Ayr.[16] The entire line from Auchinleck to Muirkirk then closed to regular passenger traffic on 1 October 1950,[17] however the line was used up until 1976.[17] Muirkirk station remained open on other lines until 5 October 1964, when it was closed as a result of the Beeching Axe.

Muirkirk was not the only casualty on this line from the Beeching Axe: the link between Irvine and Crosshouse, which had provided a direct link to Kilmarnock from Ardrossan (via a loop at Byrehill Junction) was closed to local passenger traffic on 6 April 1964 and closed completely in October 1965.[18] The loop between Byrehill Junction and Dubbs Junction, which allowed Ardrossan trains to bypass Kilwinning, was also closed on 6 April 1964,[19] however it remained open to passenger traffic until June 1977.[19]. During AyrLine electrification, this link was electrified.

A viaduct on the closed Dalry to Kilmarnock line in 2007
A viaduct on the closed Dalry to Kilmarnock line in 2007

The Dalry to Kilmarnock line had provided the G&SWR with a link between Kilmarnock and Glasgow (via the Paisley Canal Line) without having to use lines that were jointly operated with the Caledonian Railway. Again a result of the Beeching Axe, the line was closed to local passenger traffic on 18 April 1966.[20] Despite this the line remained open for long distance passenger services such as an overnight train from Glasgow to London via Paisley.[21] Some of the final passenger trains ran when the Cook Street bridge was replaced on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) approaches to Glasgow Central railway station resulting in London Euston trains already diverted from the WCML to the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway due to electrification works being further diverted during the Glasgow Fair weekend of July 1973.[22] The line closed to all traffic on 23 October 1973,[20] however it remained in place for many years before later being singled and then finally lifted.[citation needed]

In during the mid-1980s the line between Paisley and Ayr was electrified, with full electric passenger services beginning on 19 January 1987.[23] The line between Kilmarnock and Cumnock was not electrified, and remains so to this day.

See also: Ayrshire Coast Line
Stations closed and reopened during this period[8]
Date Stations closed
3 July 1950 Commondyke, Lugar
4 June 1951 Beith North (previously Beith)
10 December 1951 Cronberry
1 January 1955 Cunninghamhead
7 March 1955 Howwood, Hurlford, Montgreenan
6 April 1964 Dreghorn, Springside
5 October 1964 Muirkirk
6 December 1965 Auchinleck, Cumnock, Mauchline
14 February 1966 Elderslie
18 April 1966 Crosshouse, Milliken Park (previously Cochrane Mill)
2 January 1967 Bogside, Gailes
Date Stations reopened
28 October 1988 Howwood
15 May 1989 Milliken Park

[edit] 1994-present: Privatisation and current operations

Privatisation resulted in the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway being under the ownership of Railtrack, and then from 2002, Network Rail. The line between Paisley and Ayr is now part of the Ayrshire Coast Line (which also incorporates the former Ardrossan Railway), and the remaining line from Kilmarnock to Cumnock is part of the Glasgow South Western Line. Services are now run by First ScotRail on behalf of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Stations opened during this period[8]
Date Stations opened
5 September 1994 Prestwick International Airport

[edit] Connections to other lines

Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Diagram of the railway c.1850
(stations with * are presently open)

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Awdry, page 77
  2. ^ a b Awdry, page 78
  3. ^ Awdry, page 84
  4. ^ Robertson
  5. ^ Lewin, Page 36
  6. ^ Awdry, Page 98
  7. ^ Butt, page 165
  8. ^ a b c d e All tabled opening/closing dates from Butt, R.V.J. unless otherwise noted
  9. ^ a b Wham, page 57
  10. ^ a b Stansfield, page 9
  11. ^ a b Stansfield, page 13
  12. ^ Stansfield, page 20
  13. ^ Stansfield, page 11
  14. ^ Stansfield, page 16
  15. ^ Wham, page 56
  16. ^ a b Stansfield, page 12
  17. ^ a b Stansfield, page 29
  18. ^ Stansfield, page 25
  19. ^ a b Stansfield, page 27
  20. ^ a b Stansfield, page 18
  21. ^ Paisley Gilmour Street received new platform indicators when the Gourock Line was electified. The Platform 1 indicator - the Platform to Ayr - was provided with positions for West Coast Main Line Stations served from the platform at that time
  22. ^ Modern Railways - an issue in late 1973??
  23. ^ The Rebirth of AyrLine: Electrification to Ayr / Ardrossan / Largs - 1986/1987

[edit] References

  • Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
  • Lewin, Henry Grote (1925). Early British Railways. A short history of their origin & development 1801-1844. London: The Locomotive Publishing Co Ltd.
  • Robertson, C.J.A. (1983). The Origins of the Scottish Railway System: 1722-1844. Edinburgh: John Donald Publishers. ISBN 0-85976-088-X.
  • Stansfield, G. (1999). Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways, Stenlake Publishing, Catrine. ISBN 1-84033-077-5.
  • Wham, A. (1997). The Lost Railways of Ayrshire. G.C. Book Publishers Ltd, Wigtown. ISBN 1-872350-27-5.
  • RAILSCOT on Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway



[[Category:Pre-grouping British railway companies]] [[Category:Closed British railway lines]] [[Category:Early British railway companies]] [[Category:Beeching closures]]