Glasgow and South Western Railway - Other Lines

Other Lines

• Ardrossan: The Ardrossan Railway was built by the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal Company. The canal, opened in 1810, was intended to connect Glasgow to Ardrossan by canal, but linked Glasgow and Paisley only as far as Johnstone. The final link was to be made by the canal-owned Ardrossan to Johnstone Railway, incorporated on 14 June 1827. Work started at Ardrossan but in 1831, when it had got only as far as Kilwinning, the company ran out of money. In 1840 the railway was separated from canal company ownership and on 20 August 1840 it reopened as a standard gauge, double-track, line connected to the GPK&AR at Kilwinning. Ardrossan henceforth developed as a shipping port; later the line was extended to Largs.
• Paisley Canal Line: The G&SWR bought the Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal in 1869. In 1881 an Act of Parliament authorised closure of the canal and much of the route was used to build the Paisley Canal Line.
• Renfrew: in 1847 the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway bought the 4 ft 6 in (1,372 mm) gauge Paisley and Renfrew Railway and regauged it to standard gauge. It was then linked to the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway at Arkleston Junction, but the G&SWR retained ownership.
• The Dalry and North Johnstone Line was built to add more capacity between Elderslie and Dalry.
• The Ayr main line was extended southwards as follows:
  • 1857 — to Maybole
  • 1860 — to Girvan
  • 1887 — to Dunragit (Challoch Junction). From here to Stranraer the line was worked as the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway.
• The Firth of Clyde line, consisting of two lines: the Bridge of Weir Railway and the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway were opened in 1869 to meet demand for connections to Clyde steamers. The G&SWR built its lines via Kilmacolm, to Greenock (Princes Pier), where it built a large and imposing terminus. Later this quay was extended, providing a landing-stage nearly 1,400 feet (430 m) long.
• Direct railway via Kilmarnock: the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway, opened on 26 June 1873, and worked as a joint line with the Caledonian Railway (CR); it had been the Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilson Direct Railway, with a Kilmarnock extension.
• Glasgow St Enoch was opened by the City of Glasgow Union Railway in 1876. On 29 June 1883 the G&SWR took it over and made St Enoch Station the G&SWR headquarters. The St Enoch Hotel was opened in 1879.
• Later lines opened:
  • 1902: Paisley – Barrhead
  • 1903: the Catrine branch
  • 1903: the Glasgow & Renfrew District Railway; nominally owned by the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway.
  • 1 March 1905: the Cairn Valley Light Railway to Moniaive. The LMS closed the line to passenger traffic on 3 May 1943.
  • 1906: the Maidens and Dunure Light Railway via Turnberry. The golf links and the G&SWR hotel were also opened. The LMS closed the line to passenger traffic on 1 December 1930.