Portpatrick Railway
Encyclopedia
The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway, often known as the Port Road, was a railway in south-west Scotland
, which linked Dumfries
, via Castle Douglas
, with the port
towns of Portpatrick
and Stranraer
. It also formed part of an England
-Scotland railway and sea route to Ireland
.
The line, which was single track throughout, closed in 1965 apart from the short section from to Challoch Junction.
, being owned by the Caledonian
, Glasgow and South Western
, London and North Western
and Midland
railways. It was formed by Act of Parliament
on 6 August 1885.
The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway was formed from the amalgamation of two railway companies: The Portpatrick Railway and the Wigtownshire Railway, which got into financial difficulties; they merged and were taken over.
In the 1921 grouping
it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS).
and Belfast
by railway, via a short sea crossing. The Portpatrick Railway was built to service twin ports: Portpatrick to provide the shortest sea crossing for mail
and passengers; and Stranraer for goods and cattle
.
The railway was authorised on 10 August 1857. By 12 March 1861, the line connected Stranraer
to Castle Douglas, where it joined the newly constructed Castle Douglas and Dumfries
railway. The branch to Portpatrick opened the following year, on 28 August 1862, with the Stranraer Harbour branch, which opened on 1 October 1862; although building work continued on the line for another five years.
Portpatrick's importance as a port declined almost before the Portpatrick branch was completed. Portpatrick Harbour railway station both opened and closed permanently in 1868: opening on 11 September and closing in November. However Portpatrick railway station, which opened on 28 August 1862, remained open until 6 February 1950.
The section from Colfin
to Portpatrick also closed in 1950; although Colfin to Stranraer remained open until 1959 for milk
traffic. After that trains ran only to the north-western termini: Stranraer Town and Stranraer Harbour
.
Major structures on the route include the Loch Ken
viaduct, across the Dee
, the Gatehouse
viaduct across the Fleet
, and the Glenluce viaduct, over the Water of Luce
.
:
and in Wigtownshire
:
to Whithorn
. Whilst it was independent, it had its own locomotive
s.
There was a branch from Millisle to Garlieston station
which opened on 3 August 1878. Regular passenger services ceased on this branch on 1 March 1903; Millisle was then renamed as Millisle for Garlieston. However, Garlieston
had a good harbour from which there were occasional boat excursions to the Isle of Man
(as indeed there still are (2008)). These were well patronised, so the railway continued to provide excursion trains to Garlieston until 1935.
Goods services ran from Newton Stewart to Whithorn until the line closed on 5 October 1964. By the 1960s, these services ran three days per week; with conditional working on the Garlieston branch, when required.
The whole of the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
and majority of the remaining Portpatrick Railway was closed by the Beeching Axe
in 1965. Only the Stranraer Harbour
to Challoch Junction section is open; and is now served by services on the Glasgow South Western Line
.
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...
, which linked Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
, via Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas
Castle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
, with the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
towns of Portpatrick
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the...
and Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
. It also formed part of an England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-Scotland railway and sea route to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The line, which was single track throughout, closed in 1965 apart from the short section from to Challoch Junction.
History
The line was a joint railwayJoint railway
A joint railway is a railway operating under the control of more than one railway company: those companies very often supplying the traction over the railway.-United Kingdom:There are many examples of joint railway working in the United Kingdom...
, being owned by the Caledonian
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
, Glasgow and South Western
Glasgow 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...
, London and North Western
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
and Midland
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
railways. It was formed by Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
on 6 August 1885.
The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway was formed from the amalgamation of two railway companies: The Portpatrick Railway and the Wigtownshire Railway, which got into financial difficulties; they merged and were taken over.
In the 1921 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...
it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS).
The Portpatrick Railway
The Portpatrick Railway was intended to be part of a trunk route linking LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
by railway, via a short sea crossing. The Portpatrick Railway was built to service twin ports: Portpatrick to provide the shortest sea crossing for mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
and passengers; and Stranraer for goods and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
.
The railway was authorised on 10 August 1857. By 12 March 1861, the line connected Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
to Castle Douglas, where it joined the newly constructed Castle Douglas and Dumfries
Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.-History:It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway....
railway. The branch to Portpatrick opened the following year, on 28 August 1862, with the Stranraer Harbour branch, which opened on 1 October 1862; although building work continued on the line for another five years.
Portpatrick's importance as a port declined almost before the Portpatrick branch was completed. Portpatrick Harbour railway station both opened and closed permanently in 1868: opening on 11 September and closing in November. However Portpatrick railway station, which opened on 28 August 1862, remained open until 6 February 1950.
The section from Colfin
Colfin railway station
Colfin railway station, located in Wigtownshire, Scotland, between Portpatrick and Stranraer, was a station on the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway...
to Portpatrick also closed in 1950; although Colfin to Stranraer remained open until 1959 for milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
traffic. After that trains ran only to the north-western termini: Stranraer Town and Stranraer Harbour
Stranraer Harbour railway station
Stranraer railway station is a railway station that serves both the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and the port for ferries to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station is 94.5 miles southwest of Glasgow and is the terminus of the Glasgow South Western Line...
.
Loch Ken
Loch Ken is 9-mile long freshwater loch in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It lies in the Glenkens, where it is fed from the north by the Water of Ken and from the west by the Dee. It continues as the Dee south from Glenlochar, where the water is held back by the Glenlochar Barrage...
viaduct, across the Dee
River Dee, Galloway
The River Dee, in south-west Scotland, flows from its source in Loch Dee amongst the Galloway Hills, firstly to Clatteringshaws Loch, then in to Loch Ken, where it joins the Water of Ken. From there, the Dee flows southwards to Kirkcudbright, and into Kirkcudbright Bay to reach the Solway. The...
, the Gatehouse
Gatehouse of Fleet
Gatehouse of Fleet is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which has existed since the mid-18th century, although the area has been inhabited since much earlier...
viaduct across the Fleet
Water of Fleet
The Water of Fleet is a river in Scotland flowing into Fleet Bay on the Solway. Its two tributaries are the 'Big Water of Fleet', which begins around Loch Grannoch, and the 'Little Water of Fleet'. The river flows through Gatehouse of Fleet before meeting the sea.The Big Water of Fleet is...
, and the Glenluce viaduct, over the Water of Luce
Water of Luce
The Water of Luce is a river in Dumfries and Galloway, in south west Scotland.The Main Water of Luce rises in South Ayrshire, flows south to New Luce, where it is joined by the Cross Water of Luce, and flows into the Solway Firth at Luce Bay....
.
Places and towns served by the Portpatrick Railway
In KirkcudbrightshireKirkcudbrightshire
The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright or Kirkcudbrightshire was a county of south-western Scotland. It was also known as East Galloway, forming the larger Galloway region with Wigtownshire....
:
- Castle DouglasCastle DouglasCastle Douglas , a town in the south of Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway, lies in the eastern part of Galloway known as the Stewartry, between the towns of Dalbeattie and Gatehouse of Fleet.-History:...
- Crossmichael
- PartonParton, GallowayParton is a village situated on the banks of the River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.Prominent mathematical physicist James Clerk Maxwell lived at the nearby Glenlair House. He was famous for developing formulae governing electricity and magnetism as well as the Maxwell distribution in...
- New GallowayNew GallowayNew Galloway is a town in Dumfries and Galloway Region, southwest Scotland. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, a mile north of the end of Loch Ken...
- Loch Skerrow
- Gatehouse of FleetGatehouse of FleetGatehouse of Fleet is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which has existed since the mid-18th century, although the area has been inhabited since much earlier...
- CreetownCreetownCreetown is a small seaport town in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, which forms part of the Galloway in the Dumfries and Galloway council area in south-west Scotland. Its population is about 750 people. It is situated near the head of Wigtown Bay, 18 mi. west of Castle Douglas...
- Palnure
and in Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...
:
- Newton StewartNewton StewartNewton Stewart is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire....
- KirkcowanKirkcowanKirkcowan is a village and parish in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.It is situated in the north of the Machars peninsula, about 7 miles south south west of Newton Stewart....
- GlenluceGlenluceGlenluce is a village in the Scottish area of Dumfries and Galloway.Located on the A75 road between Stranraer and Newton Stewart it is in the traditional county of Wigtownshire. Glenluce Abbey is nearby at ....
- Castle KennedyCastle KennedyCastle Kennedy is a village three miles east of Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.There is a castle there - indeed there are two. Castle Kennedy itself was burned down in the eighteenth century and remains a ruin to this day, the owner deciding to build Lochinch Castle as a replacement...
- Stranraer HarbourStranraer Harbour railway stationStranraer railway station is a railway station that serves both the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and the port for ferries to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station is 94.5 miles southwest of Glasgow and is the terminus of the Glasgow South Western Line...
- still open - StranraerStranraerStranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
- PortpatrickPortpatrickPortpatrick is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the...
The Wigtownshire Railway
The Wigtownshire Railway was authorised on 18 July 1872. It ran for 19 miles from Newton StewartNewton Stewart
Newton Stewart is a burgh town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire....
to Whithorn
Whithorn
Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...
. Whilst it was independent, it had its own locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s.
There was a branch from Millisle to Garlieston station
Garlieston railway station
Garlieston is the closed terminus of the Garlieston branch of Wigtownshire Railway; running from a junction at Millisle. It served the coastal village and harbour of Garlieston in Wigtownshire...
which opened on 3 August 1878. Regular passenger services ceased on this branch on 1 March 1903; Millisle was then renamed as Millisle for Garlieston. However, Garlieston
Garlieston
Garlieston is a small planned coastal village in south west Scotland founded circa 1790 by Lord Garlies.-Location & History:The village lies northwest of Whithorn and a few miles north of Cruggleton Castle which was abandoned in the 17th century...
had a good harbour from which there were occasional boat excursions to the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
(as indeed there still are (2008)). These were well patronised, so the railway continued to provide excursion trains to Garlieston until 1935.
Goods services ran from Newton Stewart to Whithorn until the line closed on 5 October 1964. By the 1960s, these services ran three days per week; with conditional working on the Garlieston branch, when required.
The line today
The former Wigtownshire Railway closed completely to passengers on 29 September 1950; and the Portpatrick to Stranraer Town section closed in stages in the 1950s.The whole of the Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
The Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.-History:It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway....
and majority of the remaining Portpatrick Railway was closed by the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
in 1965. Only the Stranraer Harbour
Stranraer Harbour railway station
Stranraer railway station is a railway station that serves both the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and the port for ferries to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station is 94.5 miles southwest of Glasgow and is the terminus of the Glasgow South Western Line...
to Challoch Junction section is open; and is now served by services on 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 :...
.
Connections to other lines
- At Castle Douglas to the Castle Douglas and Dumfries RailwayCastle Douglas and Dumfries RailwayThe Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway was a nominally independent railway in south west Scotland which linked Dumfries to Castle Douglas.-History:It was incorporated on 21 July 1856; the act was obtained by the Glasgow and South Western Railway....
- At Castle Douglas to the Kirkcudbright Railway
- At Challoch Junction to the Girvan and Portpatrick Junction RailwayGirvan and Portpatrick Junction RailwayGirvan and Portpatrick Junction Railway is an historic railway in Scotland.-Connections to other lines:...
Sources
- Awdry, ChristopherChristopher AwdryChristopher Awdry is an English author best known for his contributions to The Railway Series of books featuring Thomas the Tank Engine, which was started by his father, the Rev. W. Awdry. He has also produced children's books based on a number of other railways, as well as non-fiction articles...
(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.
- Casserley, H.C.(1968). Britain's Joint Lines. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0024-7.
- Jowett, Alan. (1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0086-1.
- Thomas, JohnJohn Thomas (author)John Thomas was a Scottish railway author based in Springburn, Glasgow.Most of his books were published by the Newton Abbot based publisher David & Charles.-Books:* The Springburn Story: The History of the Scottish Railway Metropolis. ....
(1976). Forgotten Railways: Scotland. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8193-8.