Ayr railway station
Encyclopedia
Ayr railway station serves the town of Ayr
in South Ayrshire
, Scotland
. It is situated in Smith Street, off Burns
Statue Square. The station, which is managed by First ScotRail
, is on the Ayrshire Coast Line
, 41.5 miles (66.8 km) south-west of Glasgow Central railway station.
. This was the third station to be named 'Ayr' in the town: the original station
, located on the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
, opened in 1839. When the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway
was opened in 1856, a station called Ayr Townhead was opened on the south side of the town. When the original Ayr station was closed on 1 July 1857, Townhead station was renamed 'Ayr', however this second station closed the same day the current station opened. The current station was built just 300 yards south of the previous station.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping
of 1923, passing on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
during the nationalisation of 1948.
When sectorisation
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by ScotRail
until the privatisation of British Rail
ways.
Ayr station consists of two through platforms, and two bay platform
s to the north. The northbound platform station building is located on the ground floor of the four-storey hotel attached to the station, and the southbound platform has a large single storey sandstone
building. The glazed canopy that covers a small section of all four platforms and the waiting area was originally much larger than its current size.
The station has one of eight remaining ticket offices on the Ayr to line, the others being , , , , , and Glasgow Central. In December 2006, the station received automatic ticket barriers as part of First ScotRail's revenue protection policy.
(BTH) at Nationalisation
. It was sold by BTH in October 1951; and has changed ownership a number of times, having been owned by Stakis Hotels
, Quality
, and presently Swallow Hotels
.
The Station Hotel is currently the oldest and most famous hotel in Ayr. The hotel has retained almost all of its original features inside and out.
to the Glasgow South Western Line
, which ceased in the early 1990s. In the 1980s the Royal Scot started from Ayr. Following completion of the Ayrline electrification the train operated in push-pull mode with Class 87 or 90. In the early 1990s with the restructuring of British Railways the train ceased to start from Ayr.
This service is one of the busiest on the rail network in Scotland
and can suffer from serious overcrowding at peak times. To alleviate this, in June 2005 First ScotRail extended the length of trains departing Ayr between 0643 and 1813 on weekdays to six cars wherever possible. Between 2002 and 2011 the Glasgow - Ayr route were served by Class 334s
and Class 318s
.
. By the end of June 2011 Class 318 and 334 had been largely replaced, however on rare occasions they were still being used.
There are also less frequent services (operated by Class 156
DMU
s) from Ayr to (roughly every two hours), (six per day) and (two-hourly). There is a limited service to Stranraer on Sundays (two trains only).
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
in South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is situated in Smith Street, off Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
Statue Square. The station, which is managed by First ScotRail
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
, is on the Ayrshire Coast Line
Ayrshire Coast Line
The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow...
, 41.5 miles (66.8 km) south-west of Glasgow Central railway station.
History
The station was opened on 12 January 1886 by the Glasgow and South Western RailwayGlasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...
. This was the third station to be named 'Ayr' in the town: the original station
Ayr (original) railway station
Ayr railway station was a railway station serving the town of Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.- History :...
, located on the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway was a railway in Scotland that provided train services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. For a short period, it also provided West Coast services between Glasgow and London. Opened in stages between 1839 and 1848, the line ran from Paisley in the...
, opened in 1839. When the Ayr and Dalmellington Railway
Ayr and Dalmellington Railway
The Ayr and Dalmellington Railway was a railway in Scotland that provided services between Ayr and Dalmellington in Ayrshire.- History :The Ayr and Dalmellington Railway began life as the Ayrshire and Galloway Railway, which received Royal Assent on 8 June 1847...
was opened in 1856, a station called Ayr Townhead was opened on the south side of the town. When the original Ayr station was closed on 1 July 1857, Townhead station was renamed 'Ayr', however this second station closed the same day the current station opened. The current station was built just 300 yards south of the previous station.
The Glasgow and South Western Railway became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, passing on to the Scottish Region of British Railways
Scottish Region of British Railways
The Scottish Region was one of the six regions created on British Railways and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway and ex-London and North Eastern Railway lines in Scotland...
during the nationalisation of 1948.
When sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by ScotRail
ScotRail
ScotRail was a brand name used for all Scottish regional and commuter rail services, including some cross-border services, from 1997 to 2004....
until the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
ways.
Station description
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s to the north. The northbound platform station building is located on the ground floor of the four-storey hotel attached to the station, and the southbound platform has a large single storey sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
building. The glazed canopy that covers a small section of all four platforms and the waiting area was originally much larger than its current size.
The station has one of eight remaining ticket offices on the Ayr to line, the others being , , , , , and Glasgow Central. In December 2006, the station received automatic ticket barriers as part of First ScotRail's revenue protection policy.
Hotel
The hotel attached to the station was originally opened by the Glasgow and South Western Railway in June 1866; and it become part of the British Transport HotelsBritish Transport Hotels
British Transport Hotels was the brand name of the hotels and catering business associated with the nationalised railway system in Great Britain from 1953 to 1983.- Organisation :...
(BTH) at Nationalisation
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
. It was sold by BTH in October 1951; and has changed ownership a number of times, having been owned by Stakis Hotels
Stakis Hotels
Stakis Hotels is a former hotel company in the United Kingdom led by Sir Reo Stakis, headquartered in Glasgow. The company sold itself to Hilton PLC in 2000 for £1.2 billion....
, Quality
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International is a hospitality holding corporation which is affiliated with several hotel brands and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland...
, and presently Swallow Hotels
Swallow Hotels
Swallow Hotels are a hotel chain managed by Crerar Management Ltd.The company is an Edinburgh-based hotel company with a portfolio of 18 hotels, operating in the three and four star sector....
.
The Station Hotel is currently the oldest and most famous hotel in Ayr. The hotel has retained almost all of its original features inside and out.
Past
Ayr used to have a twice-daily London Euston service (one daytime and one sleeping car train) which ran to/from Stranraer via BarassieBarassie railway station
Barassie railway station is a railway station serving Barassie, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line.- History :...
to the Glasgow South Western Line
Glasgow South Western Line
The Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride.- History :...
, which ceased in the early 1990s. In the 1980s the Royal Scot started from Ayr. Following completion of the Ayrline electrification the train operated in push-pull mode with Class 87 or 90. In the early 1990s with the restructuring of British Railways the train ceased to start from Ayr.
This service is one of the busiest on the rail network in Scotland
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
and can suffer from serious overcrowding at peak times. To alleviate this, in June 2005 First ScotRail extended the length of trains departing Ayr between 0643 and 1813 on weekdays to six cars wherever possible. Between 2002 and 2011 the Glasgow - Ayr route were served by Class 334s
British Rail Class 334
The British Rail Class 334 is a suburban electric multiple unit built by Alstom in Birmingham. They are part of the Juniper family of trains along with Classes 458 and 460. They were built for SPT/ScotRail outer suburban services in Glasgow, UK. They later became part of First ScotRail/SPT fleet...
and Class 318s
British Rail Class 318
The British Rail Class 318 is an electric multiple unit train, which operates exclusively in the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport network in West Central Scotland. The units were introduced fully on 29 September 1986 as part of the electrification of the Ayrshire Coast Line between and...
.
Present
There are trains from Ayr to Glasgow Central every half hour daily, except for Sundays during the winter timetable (October–May), when the frequency is hourly. From May 2011, most services on Ayrshire and Inverclyde lines were be operated by Class 380sBritish Rail Class 380
Class 380 is the designation given to a class of electric multiple unit trains which operate on the national railway network in Scotland.- Description :...
. By the end of June 2011 Class 318 and 334 had been largely replaced, however on rare occasions they were still being used.
There are also less frequent services (operated by Class 156
British Rail Class 156
The British Rail Class 156 Super Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train . 114 of these units were built from 1987 to 1989 by Metro-Cammell at its Washwood Heath Works in Birmingham...
DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s) from Ayr to (roughly every two hours), (six per day) and (two-hourly). There is a limited service to Stranraer on Sundays (two trains only).