Kilwinning Railway Station

Kilwinning railway station is a railway station serving the town of Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line and 27 miles south of Glasgow Central. British Transport Police maintain an office here.

The station gets more trains than any other in Ayrshire.

History

The station was opened on 23 March 1840 by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway and was built as an interchange, seeing traffic coming from Glasgow, Ayr and Ardrossan (and later Largs).

Station facilities

The station is located on Byers Road about 1/2 mile from the town centre. There is a fully staffed ticket office, a toilet, a kiosk, a waiting room and a ticket vending machine. In 2012, a new 130 space car park opened.

Station Usage

The station is popular with commuters travelling to Glasgow from Ayrshire and beyond. It is the last stop before the Ayrshire Coast line splits in two, so trains stop at this station more than any other in Ayrshire.

British Transport Police

The station houses a Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) from the British Transport Police, Officers from Kilwinning cover All stations south of Kilwinning and north of Kilwinning until Lochwinnoch, Police Scotland officers will cover if British Transport Police officers are not available,

Bus Services

Most buses do not come into the station forecourt but there is a bus stop 100 yards north of the station.

Services

A Glasgow to Ayr service

1985 (pre electrification)

• 3 trains per hour to Glasgow Central
• 2 trains per hour to Ayr
• 4 trains per day to Stranraer Harbour, connecting with the ferry to Northern Ireland
• 1 train per hour to Largs
• 4 trains per day to Ardrossan Harbour, connecting with the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran.

December 2014

The typical weekday daytime service is:

• 6 trains per hour to Glasgow Central
• 3 trains per hour to Ayr
• 1 train per hour to Irvine
• 2 trains per day to Stranraer
• 1 train per hour to Largs
• 1 train per hour to Ardrossan Harbour, for the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran.

Stopping patterns on the Glasgow service varies - 2tph call at all stations to Paisley Gilmour Street, whilst two others run non-stop and the remainder serve principal stations only.

The Sunday service is:

• 3 trains per hour to Glasgow Central,
• 2 trains per hour to Ayr,
• 1 train per hour to Largs,
• 3 trains per day to Stranraer,
• 4 trains per day to Ardrossan Harbour,

May 2014

• 6 trains per hour to Glasgow Central (5 trains per day extend to Edinburgh Waverley with 1 to North Berwick)
• 4 trains per hour to Ayr
• 2 trains per day to Stranraer (for the ferries in Cairnryan. to the Port of Belfast and Larne Harbour)
• 1 train per hour to Largs
• 1 train per hour to Ardrossan Harbour

Rail & Sea Connections

Northern Ireland

Trains connect Ayr along the Glasgow South Western Line to Stranraer where a bus link runs, route 350 operated by McLeans (except Sundays) to Cairnryan. for onward ferries to the Port of Belfast by Stena Line and Larne Habour by P&O Ferries.

Trains also connect along the Ayrshire Coast Line to Troon for the P&O Ferries service to Larne Harbour.

Isle of Arran

Trains also connect along the Ayrshire Coast Line to Ardrossan Harbour for the Caledonian MacBrayne service to Brodick.

Future developments

Redevelopment of Kilwinning station is due to start soon, with the taxi rank and main car park being moved to allow buses to serve the station as part of an interchange project drawn up by North Ayrshire Council, where Service 11 buses to/from Kilmarnock will call at the station.

Discussions have been on-going for some time between the Council and Network Rail over the buying of old goods sidings to the west of the station to allow for more car parking at the site. North Ayrshire are hoping to build a two-tiered structure which will hold double the amount of cars than is currently the case at the station.