Ayrshire Coast Line

Line within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland

Not to be confused with Ayrshire Coastal Path.

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Ayrshire Coast Line

Class 380 train at Troon

Overview
Status| Operational
Owner| Network Rail
Locale| Scotland
Stations| 26
Service
Type| Heavy rail
System| National Rail
Operator(s)| ScotRail
Rolling stock| Class 380 and Class 156
Technical
Number of tracks| Double and single line
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification| 25 kV 50 Hz AC

Route map

(Click to expand)

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Ayrshire Coast Line

Legend

|  |  |

|  | Glasgow Central

|
|
|
|

Argyle Line

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

West Coast Main Line

Glasgow Subway

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

City Union Line

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Paisley Canal Line

|  |

|  | Cardonald
|  |

|  | Hillington East
|  |

|  | Hillington West
|  |

|  | Paisley Gilmour Street
|  |

|  |

Inverclyde Line

Largs |  |

|  | Johnstone
Fairlie |  |

|  | Milliken Park
West Kilbride |  |

|  | Howwood
| Ardrossan

Harbour

|  | Lochwinnoch
Ardrossan Town |  |

|  | Glengarnock
| Ardrossan

South Beach

|  | Dalry
Saltcoats |  |

|  | Kilwinning
Stevenston |  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Irvine
|  |

|  | Barassie
|  |

|  |

| GSWL

to Kilmarnock

|  |

|  | Troon
|  |

|  |  | Prestwick

International Airport
|  |

|  | Prestwick Town
|  |

|  | Newton-on-Ayr
|  |

|  |

Ayr to Mauchline Branch

|  |

|  | Ayr

| GSWL

to Stranraer

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |

Detailed View

|  |  |

|  |  | Glasgow Central

St Enoch

Argyle Line

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

River Clyde

|  |

|  | Bridge Street
|  |

|  |

Bridge Street

| Glasgow Subway

West Street

|  |

City Union Line

|  |

|  |

West Coast Main Line

|  |

|  |

| General Terminus and

Glasgow Harbour Railway

|  |
|  |

|  | Shields Road
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Paisley Canal Line

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Ibrox

Govan Branch

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Cardonald
| Glasgow and Renfrew

District Railway

|  |
|  |

|  | Hillington East
|  |

|  | Hillington West
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Arkleston Junction

| Paisley and Renfrew

Railway

|  |

| Paisley and Barrhead

District Railway

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Paisley Gilmour Street
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Paisley Canal Line

Inverclyde Line

|  |

|  |

| Paisley and Barrhead

District Railway

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Elderslie
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

Bridge of Weir Railway

|  |

|  |

Kilbarchan Loop

|  |

|  | Johnstone

Largs |  |

|  | Milliken Park (1st)
Fairlie Pier |  |

|  | Milliken Park
Fairlie |  |

|  | Howwood
West Kilbride |  |

|  | Lochwinnoch
|  |

|  | Beith North
Ardrossan Winton Pier |  |

|  |

Ardrossan Harbour |  |

|  |

| L&AR to

Kilbirnie │ Giffen

(L&AR)

| Ardrossan

Montgomerie Pier

|  |
|  |

|  | Glengarnock

(L&AR)

Ardrossan North |  |

|  |

Kilbarchan Loop

Ardrossan Town |  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
Ardrossan South Beach |  |

|  |
Saltcoats (2nd) |  |

|  |
Saltcoats |  |

|  | Dalry
Saltcoats (1st) |  |

|  | Dalry Junction
Stevenston |  |

|  |

| GPK&AR to

Montgreenan

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Kilwinning
|  |

|  |

L&AR to Giffen

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Bogside
|  |

|  | Irvine
|  |

|  |

GPK&AR to Dreghorn

|  |

|  | Gailes
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

| GSWL

to Kilmarnock

|  |

|  | Barassie
|  |

|  |
Troon Harbour |  |

|  | Troon (old)
Troon |  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Monkton
| Prestwick

International Airport

|  |
Prestwick Town |  |

|  |

| Monkton and

Annbank Branch

|  |

|  |

Port of Ayr

|  |

|  | Newton-on-Ayr
Ayr (1st) |  |

|  |

Ayr to Mauchline Branch

|  |

|  | Ayr (Townhead)
|  |

|  | Ayr

Townhead EMU Sidings

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |

GSWL to Stranraer

|  |  |  |  |  |

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. There are three branches, to Largs, Ardrossan Harbour and Ayr, all running into the high level at Glasgow Central.

The route is operated by ScotRail.

## History

[edit]

The Largs branch in steam days

The Ayrshire Coast Line consists of lines that were formerly part of the Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway, the Ardrossan Railway and its Largs Branch extension.

### After electrification

[edit]

Class 318 trains at Paisley Gilmour Street in 1990

The line to Ayr was electrified and Class 318 electric multiple units introduced by British Rail in September 1986. The line was promoted as the AyrLine in Scotrail publicity. Along with the introduction of new trains, major work was undertaken refurbishing stations, major trackworks and rebuilding many bridges. At the same time resignalling was carried out, replacing the existing semaphore signals.[1] The full electrified service, including trains to Largs and Ardrossan Harbour, commenced on 19 January 1987.[1] These were supplemented by occasional use of Class 303 and Class 311 EMUs, then in use on the Inverclyde Line.

These EMUs replaced the Class 101 and Class 107 DMUs that had served the line for over 30 years. Class 126 DMUs were also used on the line, but they succumbed to old age in the early 1980s.

## Services 2025

[edit]

As of May 2025, There are 4 trains per hour running every 15 minutes between Glasgow Central and Kilwinning, 2 of these continue to Ayr while 1 an hour serves Ardrossan Harbour and Largs each. Extra trains run at peak hours, with all trains calling at Paisley Gilmour Street, Johnstone and Kilwinning. There are occasionally extra services which run to/from Ardrossan Harbour to connect with CalMac sailings to/from Brodick on Arran, There is a 2 hourly service which runs between Kilmarnock and Ayr which calls at Troon and at Prestwick Town* and up to hourly at peak time's. On a Sunday, there are 3 trains an hour, 2 to Ayr and 1 to Largs and 4 trains per day to/from Ardrossan Harbour to connect with ferries, There are no Sunday services to/from Kilmarnock.

* Not all Kilmarnock trains call at Prestwick Town

## Route

[edit]

A Class 318 near Irvine

The line runs along the same Glasgow and Paisley Joint Railway route as the Inverclyde Line as far as Paisley Gilmour Street, using different platforms at Paisley Gilmour Street, where it turns south west towards Kilwinning on the route of the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. Here the line branches in two, with one branch running south along the coast to Troon and Ayr. This branch also serves Prestwick Airport station, which opened in 1994. The other branch runs north along the coast to Ardrossan or Largs, becoming a single track for passenger trains after Saltcoats. Beyond Ayr, 'Sprinter' DMUs continue south towards Girvan and Stranraer.

The line connects with ferries at Ardrossan to Brodick on the Isle of Arran and at Largs to Great Cumbrae.

## References

[edit]

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b The Rebirth of the AyrLine: Electrification to Ayr / Ardrossan / Largs - 1987

### Sources

[edit]

* "The Rebirth of AyrLine: Electrification to Ayr/Ardrossan/Largs - 1986/1987".
* "The Rebirth of AyrLine: Electrification to Ayr/Ardrossan/Largs - 1987".

## Further reading

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ayrshire Coast Line.

* "The long wait is over for Ayrshire project". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. April 1983. p. 42\. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.

* v
* t
* e

Railway lines in Scotland

Cross-border lines and services|

* East Coast Main Line
* CrossCountry
* London North Eastern Railway
* West Coast Main Line
* Avanti West Coast
* Caledonian Sleeper
* TransPennine Express
* Glasgow South Western Line
* ScotRail

ScotRail intercity lines|

* Glasgow–Edinburgh (via Falkirk)
* Edinburgh–Dundee
* Glasgow–Dundee
* Dundee–Aberdeen
* Highland
* Aberdeen–Inverness

Glasgow commuter lines|

* Argyle
* Ayrshire Coast
* Carstairs
* Cathcart Circle
* Croy (and Alloa)
* Cumbernauld (and Falkirk)
* Inverclyde
* Maryhill
* Motherwell–Cumbernauld
* North Clyde
* Paisley Canal
* Shotts
* South Western
* Whifflet

Edinburgh commuter lines|

* Borders
* Carstairs
* Dunblane
* Fife Circle
* North Berwick
* North Clyde
* Shotts

Rural lines and Great Scenic Railways|

* Borders Railway
* Far North
* Glasgow South Western
* Kyle of Lochalsh
* West Highland

Current projects|

Railway electrification in Scotland

Completed projects|

* Airdrie–Bathgate
* Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme
* Stirling–Alloa–Kincardine rail link
* Borders Railway
* Levenmouth rail link

Heritage railways|

* Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway
* Caledonian Railway (Brechin)
* Fife Heritage Railway
* Keith and Dufftown Railway
* Royal Deeside Railway
* Scottish Industrial Railway Centre
* Strathspey Railway
* Waverley Route Heritage Association

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