, symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Girvan station exterior.JPG , caption = The exterior of Girvan station , borough =

Girvan Girvan ( gd, Inbhir Gharbhain, "mouth of the River Girvan") is a burgh and harbour town in Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Girvan is situated on the east coast of the Firth of Clyde, with a population of about 6,450. It lies south of Ay ...

, South Ayrshire , country = Scotland , coordinates = , grid_name =

Grid reference A projected coordinate system, also known as a projected coordinate reference system, a planar coordinate system, or grid reference system, is a type of spatial reference system that represents locations on the Earth using cartesian coordin ...

, grid_position = , owned =

Network Rail Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...

, manager = ScotRail , platforms = 2 , code = GIR , transit_authority = SPT , years = 5 October 1877 , events = Opened as Girvan New , years5 = 1 April 1893 , events5 = Renamed as Girvan , mpassengers = , footnotes = Passenger statistics from the

Office of Rail and Road The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic and safety regulation of Britain's railways, and the economic monitoring of National Highways. ORR regulates Network Rail by setting its ...

, embedded = Girvan railway station is a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

serving the town of

, South Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail, who operate all passenger services from there. It is on the Ayr to Stranraer section of the

Glasgow South Western Line The Glasgow South Western Line is a mainline railway in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, and then either via Dumfries, or Stranraer via Ayr, with a branch to East Kilbride. History The line was built by several railway compan ...

and is situated south of . It has two platforms and is the location of one of the five

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

s on the single track line between ''Dalrymple Junction'' (south of Ayr) and Stranraer. Immediately south of the station, the line climbs steeply towards Pinmore tunnel – the climb is known as the ''Glendoune Bank'' and has a

ruling gradient The term ruling grade is usually used as a synonym for "steepest climb" between two points on a railroad. More simply, the steepest grade to be climbed dictates how powerful the motive power (or how light the train) must be in order for the run to ...

of 1 in 54.

History

The station was opened on 5 October 1877 by the

Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Railway Girvan and Portpatrick Junction Railway (G&PJR) was a railway company in Scotland. It opened in 1877 between Girvan and Challoch Junction, where it joined the Portpatrick Railway, which had already reached Stranraer from Castle Douglas. Portpat ...

and was known as Girvan New,Butt, page 103 replacing the Girvan (Old) terminus station of the

Maybole and Girvan Railway The Maybole and Girvan Junction Railway was a railway company that constructed a line between Maybole and Girvan. Although promoted independently, it was supported by the Glasgow and South Western Railway, and was seen as part of a trunk line con ...

situated nearby. The station closed on 7 February 1882, reopened 1 August 1883, closed 12 April 1886, reopened 18 June 1886, closed again 2 September 1886, reopened 14 July 1890, and was renamed Girvan on 1 April 1893 after rebuilding by the Glasgow and South Western Railway, who had taken over the G&PJR the previous year. From 1906–1942, it also served as the southern terminus of the

Maidens and Dunure Light Railway The Maidens and Dunure Light Railway was a railway in Ayrshire, Scotland built to open up coastal communities by connecting them to the main line railway network. It opened in 1906 and closed to local passenger traffic in 1942, but a section se ...

. The main station building caught fire in January 1946 and because the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) were not disposed to finance the rebuilding costs as nationalisation was imminent, rebuilding did not commence until 1949. Owing to shortage of materials it was not completed until August 1951, when based on a typical 1930s LMS design it was re-opened. Along with the signal box, it is a category B listed structure as an example of an early post-war railway station in the Moderne style in Scotland. The station clock restored in 2009 is believed to be from the original station building. The station is part of the South West Scotland Community Rail Partnership which comprises local Community Councils, representation from South Ayrshire Council, ScotRail as well as private individuals. SWSCRP has adopted the station and has provided tubs, shrubs and plants. These are tended to by the Girvan Make it Happen Group. SWSCRP also have their community shop and an office on site. The station was the rail head for the 2009 UK Open Golf Championships.

Services

All trains on the to Stranraer route call, along with several to/from Ayr and beyond start or terminate here.

2022

On Monday to Saturday, there is a typically hourly service to/from Ayr, 6 trains of which continue to Kilmarnock with eight running the other way (and one train is extended to Glasgow Central). There are 5 trains per day southbound to Stranraer which operate every to an irregular 2 or 4 hour frequency. On Sundays, there are 5 trains a day each way to both Ayr and Stranraer.

References

Bibliography

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External links

Girvan Railway Station
{{Railway stations served by Abellio Scotrail Railway stations in South Ayrshire Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1877 SPT railway stations Railway stations served by ScotRail Category B listed buildings in South Ayrshire Former Glasgow and South Western Railway stations Girvan