Newton Stewart

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Newton Stewart (1861-1965)

Opened on the Portpatrick Railway.
Opened on the Wigtownshire Railway.

Description

This was an important junction station on the Portpatrick Railway, to the south west of the town of Newton Stewart itself.

This was a three platform station. The main station building was on the westbound platform on the south side, north of this was an island platform with a building with a glazed canopy and north again of this the goods yard, served from the west. A long iron footbridge at the west end served the platforms and crossed all the lines.

The station had two signal boxes, West and East, opened 1875. Both boxes were replaced in 1902. The west box was located to the west of the station, on the north side of the junction between the routes to Stranraer and Wigtown. The east box was east of the station and on the north side of the line at the east end of the station loop.

The junction was west of the station and a new locomotive shed Newton Stewart Shed was built here in the 'V' the junction in 1920. The main line and branch were single track.

The station, boxes and line closed in 1965.

Of the station little other than the stone goods shed survives. The station site is now an industrial estate. Portions of loading banks remain in the north of the site and the road bridge crossing to the west of the station remains intact.

The new road Old Station View has nothing to do with the station. It is south of the former junction.

Tags

Station

External links

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




Chronology Dates

12/03/1861Portpatrick Railway
Stranraer to Castle Douglas opened to the public. Most of the line was single track. Stations at; Stranraer, Glenluce, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Creetown, New Galloway, Parton and Crossmichael.
  /  /1872Wigtownshire Railway
Wigtownshire Railway authorised from Newton Stewart to Wigtown along with tramway to Garlieston.
03/04/1875Wigtownshire Railway
Opened from Newton Stewart (Portpatrick Railway) to Wigtown. (Alternative dates 03/05/1875, 02/08/1875.)
  /  /1895Portpatrick Railway
A wooden engine shed is opened at Newton Stewart in the V of the junction.
  /  /1921Portpatrick Railway
A new large brick engine shed, Newton Stewart Shed [2nd] is opened at Newton Stewart in the V of the junction, replacing the wooden structure.
25/09/1950Wigtownshire Railway
Whithorn to Newton Stewart closed to passengers.
14/06/1965Portpatrick Railway Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
Challoch Junction (excluded) to Dumfries (excluded) closed to passengers. Glenluce, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart, Creetown, Gatehouse of Fleet, New Galloway, Parton and Crossmichael closed. Challoch Junction to Maxwelltown Factory Siding (excluded) closed to all traffic. On the surviving part of the line Castle Kennedy and Dunragit stations closed.
14/06/1965Wigtownshire Railway
Whithorn to Newton Stewart officially closed, although the track was already lifted.

News items

05/10/2023Ayrshire: Improvements for A75 between Gretna, Stranraer [Ayr Advertiser]
24/02/2023Dalbeattie charity fundraiser believes old Dumfries and Galloway railway line could become popular walking route [Daily Record]
10/12/2022Railway line disappointment [DNG Online Limited]
19/10/2021New report claims reopening Dumfries to Stranraer railway should be 'high priority' [Daily Record]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Scotland - The Lowlands and the Borders v. 6 (Regional railway history series)

Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railways (Library of Railway History)

Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Railways (Library of Railway History)
Rails to Portpatrick (Local History Series)Rails to Portpatrick (Local History Series)
The Port Road: Dumfries to Stranraer, Portpatrick, Kirkcudbright and Whithorn

The Port Road: Dumfries to Stranraer, Portpatrick, Kirkcudbright and Whithorn