Kilmarnock

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Kilmarnock (1878-)

Station code: KMK National Rail ScotRail
Where: East Ayrshire, Scotland
Opened on the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway.
Open on the G and SW Main Line.
Open on the Kilmarnock and Troon.

Description

This station is located in the middle of Kilmarnock. It is a four platform station with two bay platforms at the north end and two mainline platforms. There are three tracks between the main platforms. The bay platforms and northbound (down) platform are canopied.

The original 1843 station was substantially rebuilt in 1873-78, following the opening of the joint line via Barrhead. (See Kilmarnock [1st] for the earlier version of the station.) The main building is on the northbound platform. It is built in red sandstone. The building features a tall tower at the east end. This features round windows on the top floor, curiously not fitted with clocks (although there is a large clock in the grounds). A double ramp runs up to the station, passing the car park. At low level is a castellated building, the entry to an underpass under the station and former ticket office. The architect was probably Andrew Galloway, engineer of the Glasgow and South Western Railway.

The original 1843 down side station building survived until the 1990s, just to the north west of its replacement.

The 1870s reconstruction of the station remains largely intact, although the south end bay platform, west side, and east face of the island platform are now out of use. The northbound platform and bay platforms area is canopied.

Signal boxes opened at the north and south ends of the station in 1873. The north box was on the south side of Kilmarnock Junction. The south box was at the east end of the station, just west of Kilmarnock Water Viaduct.

In 1890 the north box was replaced with the first No 1 box. The south box was renamed to become the first No 2 box. The first No 3 box had opened in 1889 - this was on the north side of the station, between No 1 and No 2. It controlled access to single ended sidings to the west and locomotive shed and turntable to the east.

With the opening of a new No 1 box at Bonnyton and Kilmarnock Goods Junction in 1926 there was a further renaming. The north box at Kilmarnock Junction, the first No 1, became No 2. The south box, the first No 2, became No 3. The middle box, the first No 3, became No 4.

The middle box, No 4, closed in 1966. The north, No 2, and south, No 3, boxes closed in 1976 when replaced by Kilmarnock Power Box.

The original building was in Georgian style. It was thought to be by James Miller and was demolished despite being listed. It was reminiscent of his work at Haymarket.

Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust - Storm in a Teacup Cafe is based in the station building.

Tags

Station

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67

Facilities

Listing: B




Chronology Dates

04/04/1843Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Kilmarnock line from Dalry opened.
09/08/1848Galston Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Kilmarnock (Hurlford Junction) to Galston opened (actually opened by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway rather than the G&SWR).
  /  /1865Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway
Authorisation of a Caledonian Railway extension from Crofthead to Kilmarnock and the Beith [Town] branch.
  /  /1869Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint RailwayGlasgow and South Western RailwayCaledonian Railway
Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Line committee formed for the under construction line. The joint line includes the Caledonian Railways former Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway. This gives the G&SWR a shorter route to Kilmarnock (and Carlisle) just as the City of Glasgow Union Railway, and its Glasgow St Enoch, is under development. It gives the Caledonian access to Kilmarnock with some running powers beyond.
  /  /1872Caledonian Railway Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway Govan and Polloc Railway
Link between Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway, Victoria Junction (Langside Junction), to Govan and Polloc Railway, Cathcart Road Junction (Larkfield Junction), authorised. The former was about to be extended to Kilmarnock in 1873.
  /  /1872Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway
Hillhead Colliery branch (in north of Kilmarnock) authorised. Opened in 1872.
  /  /1873Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway
William Tite's building at South Side [GB and NDR] and South Side [CR] demolished to make way for the City of Glasgow Union Railway lines connecting to the Barrhead line. The Glasgow and South Western Railway had only recently come into joint ownership of the line to Kilmarnock which was formerly under Caledonian Railway control and the G&SW was building an approach to its new St Enoch station.
26/06/1873Glasgow and Kilmarnock Joint Railway
Opened throughout, by extending from Stewarton to Kilmarnock. Station opened at Kilmaurs. Additionally Kilmarnock Joint Goods and Kilmarnock Joint Shed opened.
  /  /1876Grant, Ritchie & Co
Founded in Kilmarnock to build engines, by former employees of Andrew Barclay & Sons.
  /  /1896Strathaven and Darvel Railway Mid Lanark Lines (Caledonian Railway) Mid Lanark, Spireslack and Muirkirk Branch (Caledonian Railway)
Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Lines authorised for the Caledonian Railway; Darvel to Strathaven Central, Spireslack Colliery No 1 Pit to Muirkirk (Auldhouseburn Junction), Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] and Stonehouse [Lanarkshire] to Lesmahagow [2nd] and Alton Heights Junction. The Glasgow and South Western Railway is granted running powers over these lines in exchange for the Caledonian Railway having running powers from Darvel to Troon and Kilmarnock to Ayr.
20/09/1903Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway
Lugton East Junction to Lugton L and A Junction opened. This was an interchange spur but also allowed trains to run from Glasgow to Kilmarnock via Neilston as far as Lugton on a wholly Caledonian Railway only owned route.
19/04/1962North British Locomotive Company
Liquidated. Goodwill bought by Andrew Barclay & Sons of Kilmarnock.
06/04/1964Galston Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Darvel Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway)
Darvel to Kilmarnock (Hurlford Junction) closed to passengers.
06/04/1964Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr RailwayArdrossan Railway
Irvine (Byrehill Junction) to Stevenston (Dubbs Junction) closed to passengers. Ardrossan to Kilmarnock service via Crosshill withdrawn.
18/04/1966Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Dalry to Kilmarnock closed to local passenger trains.
03/03/1969Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
Barassie to Kilmarnock closed to passengers.
01/10/1973Glasgow, Paisley Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway
Dalry to Kilmarnock closed to all traffic.
05/05/1975Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
Barassie to Kilmarnock re-opened to passengers (on closure of Annbank to Mauchline to passengers).
  /  /1980Kilmarnock and Troon Railway
Kilmarnock to Barassie re-opened to passengers.

News items

03/08/2023Glasgow - Barrhead reopens to passengers following major upgrade works [Network Rail]
01/08/2023Train services from Barrhead set to be 'more reliable' [Barrhead News]
31/07/2023Reason to bee cheerful on Scotland's Railway [Network Rail]
22/06/2023Kilwinning: B778 abutments from old railway earmarked for demolition [Ardrossan Herald]
15/06/2023Glasgow-Barrhead line electrification works set to begin [Network Rail]
14/06/2023Glasgow-Barrhead line electrification works set to begin [Network Rail]
11/05/2023Update on works which will halt trains through Barrhead [Glasgow Times]
09/05/2023ScotRail: Glasgow to Kilmarnock trains to be off for a month [Glasgow Times]
03/03/2023ScotRail: Fault prompts cancellation services south of Glasgow [The Herald]
10/01/2023Travel advice for football fans ahead of Hampden semi finals [ScotRail]