The Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway (L&AR) was an independent railway company built to provide the

Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...

with a shorter route for mineral traffic from the coalfields of

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...

Ardrossan Harbour , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Ardrossan Harbour railway station.jpg , borough = Ardrossan, North Ayrshire , country = Scotland , coordinates = , grid_nam ...

, in Scotland. It opened in stages from 1888, being extended to

Neilston Neilston ( sco, Neilstoun, gd, Baile Nèill, ) is a village and parish in East Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is in the Levern Valley, southwest of Barrhead, south of Paisley, and south-southwest of Renfrew, at t ...

and Newton, giving the Caledonian Railway a fully independent route by 1904. At the Ayrshire end the line duplicated the existing Glasgow and South Western Railway route at a time when bulk coal exports could be handled more economically in Clydebank, so that the primary purpose of the line was short-lived. The Caledonian Railway hoped to develop suburban traffic in south

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

where the new line passed through those districts, but street tramcars limited the success of this. The duplicate routes to

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the ' Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...

were wasteful and, as traffic declined, closures took place from 1930. The eastern section from Neilston and Newton to the

Cathcart Cathcart ( sco, Kithcart, gd, Coille Chart)
is an are ...

circle lines developed as outer suburban railways, and were electrified in the 1960s. Those branches, as they became, continue in intensive passenger use at the present day, but are the only remaining sections of the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire line remaining in operation.

History

Background

Ardrossan Harbour had come to increasing prominence as a coal port by 1880; export coal came largely from Lanarkshire: 84 collieries in the Hamilton area were sending coal to Ardrossan, and the

was dominant in the coalfield region. However the coal was transported by rail from the pits to Gushetfaulds (in south Glasgow) and handed to the rival Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) there for onward haulage. If the Caledonian could make a railway to Ardrossan, all of this lucrative traffic would fall to them. Moreover, the towns in the area, including Saltcoats and Stevenston, as well as Irvine, were of growing importance for industrial activity and serving them would bring further passenger and goods revenue. The Caledonian Railway had earlier entertained hopes of building from the ''Glasgow Barrhead and Neilston Railway'' (which later formed the trunk of the

Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway The Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway was a railway jointly owned by the Caledonian Railway and the Glasgow and South Western Railway, completed in 1873, and giving the latter a shorter access to its Carlisle main line. A branch to ...

: the GB&KJR) to the

Ardrossan Railway The Ardrossan Railway was a railway company in Scotland, whose line was built in the mid-19th century. It primarily ran services between Kilwinning and Ardrossan, as well as freight services to and from collieries between Kilwinning and Perceton. ...

but those plans were based on dubious share acquisition which the Caledonian could not afford at the time, and that opportunity had long since been lost.E F Carter, ''An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles'', Cassell, London, 1959David Ross, ''The Caledonian: Scotland's Imperial Railway: A History'', Stenlake Publishing Limited, Catrine, 2014, Nonetheless the GB&KJR was only six miles (9 km) from the G&SWR line at one point. Closing that gap would be hugely advantageous to the Caledonian.John Thomas revised J S Paterson, ''A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 6, Scotland, the Lowlands and the Borders'', David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1984,

Authorisation

Encouraged and supported by the Caledonian Railway, a group of promoters submitted an independent Bill for the 1883 session, and it gained the Royal Assent on 20 August 1883: the ''Barrmill and Kilwinning Railway '' was authorised. It was empowered to build from the Barrmill branch of the GB&KJR line to a new junction with the G&SWR at Kilwinning. The Earl of Eglinton was the owner of Ardrossan Harbour and wished to encourage any initiative that would enhance the value of his property, and he lent his support to the scheme. Encouraged by this, the company presented a Bill in the 1884 session for a much more ambitious scheme, dropping the junction with the G&SWR and making lines to Ardrossan itself, and to Irvine and Kilbirnie. The 1884 Act also changed the company's name to ''The Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway''. Its capital was £375,000. A further Act was obtained in 1885 authorising substantial subscription in the scheme by the Caledonian Railway, which was in any case going to work the line. The Caledonian also committed itself to long term carriage contracts with mineral forwarders, relying on the new line.Sources are contradictory about the timing of the main authorisation. Paterson, page 133 says that the £375,000 and the Ardrossan line were in the 1884 Act; Carter (page 457) implies it was the capital of the 1883 scheme; Ross is ambiguous on the timing of the main authorisation (on page 122) but says that the Act of 16 July 1885 authorised it "to invest up to £150,000 of the £375,000 capital". Paterson, referring to the 1884 Act, says that "all but £15,000 of the capital required assubscribed without Caledonian help." Eglinton was made chairman of the company. The G&SWR was alarmed by this intended incursion into its territory and quoted cheap rates for coal from Hamilton and Bothwell; it had running powers over the North British Railway lines there; however its longer mileage and the toll charges to the NBR made it impossible to sustain the cheap rates and the scheme was dropped after six months.

Construction and opening

Robert McAlpine and Company was chosen as contractor for the construction of the line.John Thomas, ''Forgotten Railways: Scotland'', David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1976, , pages 91 to 92 The line from Barrmill crossed difficult terrain and had steep gradients, but from Kilwinning to Ardrossan the G&SWR was already occupying the best route, and the new line had to be content with an alignment behind all the towns, discouraging passenger use. The first section of the line opened from Barrmill to Ardrossan station on 3 September (ceremonial) and 4 September 1888 (full public), although the extension works to the harbour at Ardrossan were incomplete, and a temporary spur was laid in to connect with the G&SWR there at first.Gordon Stansfield, ''Ayrshire and Renfrewshire's Lost Railways'', Stenlake Publishing Ltd, Catrine, 1999, The Kilbirnie branch from Kilbirnie Junction, known as Giffen from 2 October 1889, was opened for goods traffic on 1 November 1889, and to passengers on 2 December 1889. Although Kilbirnie was a significant town, with a population of 3,405, the dominant feature of the branch was the ironworks at Glengarnock (and also a chemical works there), situated on the west side of the G&SWR main line. The new branch crossed over the G&SWR line and there was a large siding complex at the ironworks, already served by the G&SWR. Saltcoats North railway station

The passenger service operated from Kilbirnie to Giffen only, with no through trains beyond that point. Ardrossan lines 1890

At Ardrossan, the Montgomerie Pier station and steamer terminal was opened on 30 May 1890. This immediately ignited bitter competition for the passenger traffic between Glasgow and the Clyde islands and to Belfast, with some very fast through journeys being timetabled. Within one week in 1899, 677 traders, merchants and industrialists of Ayr, dissatisfied with the poor service of the G&SWR monopoly, petitioned the Caledonian to extend the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire line to Ayr. The Caledonian did not immediately respond, and the Provost, Town Clerk and a deputation of magistrates went to the Caledonian headquarters and presented a written guarantee of half the traffic of 560 traders for ten years if the Caledonian would construct the line. The Caledonian seriously examined the scheme; a branch off the proposed line to Troon was considered. The (as yet unfinished) Irvine branch would be doubled and the length of the route from Glasgow would be almost identical to the G&SWR's route. Such a line would have been a coup in the battle against the rival G&SWR, but a more balanced view prevailed: the line would have cost £440,000 and would have been subject to an immediate price war, frustrating any likelihood of great profits and the construction would have exhausted the Caledonian's fund of capital for major works, for which the priority lay elsewhere. The extension to Irvine was opened on 2 June 1890, with through carriages from Glasgow.

Extending eastwards

The petition from Ayr urged an extension south and west but the Caledonian and the L&AR were more interested in extending east and north. The L&AR had been successful in capturing the majority of the mineral traffic from Lanarkshire to Ardrossan, but it still required the heavy and slow trains to travel via the junctions on the south side of Glasgow, along congested routes. Part of the haul was along the Glasgow Barrhead and Kilmarnock joint line, shared with the GS&WR, which had difficult gradients, incurring significant extra engine power costs. In 1897 the Caledonian decided to subscribe £152,000 towards the £502,000 cost of extending the L&AR line back from Giffen to Newton. This would considerably shorten the route from the mineral areas and escape involvement with the G&SWR altogether. The authorising Act of Parliament was obtained on 1 July 1897. The L&AR got authority to build from a junction at Giffen on its line south of the convergence with the GB&KJR near Barrmill, running eastwards south of the earlier line and crossing over the GB&KJR main line south of Lugton, then running north east parallel to that line. It ran to a new Neilston station above the GB&KJR line, then through Whitecraigs to Cathcart, where it connected with the

Cathcart District Railway The Cathcart District Railway was proposed to serve the arising demand for suburban residential travel on the south side of Glasgow, Scotland. It was planned as a loop running to and from Glasgow Central station, but at first only the eastern arm, ...

, giving direct access over Caledonian controlled lines to Glasgow Central. The line continued from Cathcart via Burnside to Newton, on the main line to Hamilton and Motherwell. L&ar 1904

This line was opened from Giffen to Cathcart for goods on 1 April 1903, and for passengers on 1 May 1903. The Cathcart to Newton section was opened on 6 January 1904: now the Caledonian had a fully independent route from Lanarkshire to Ardrossan. While the imperative for the line was mineral traffic, the Caledonian saw that suburban passenger traffic was a growth area since the opening of Glasgow Central station in 1879, and the Cathcart lines from 1886. Urban tramway competition (with horse traction at first) was developing as a competitive threat in the city, with which the Caledonian wished to compete. Stations were opened between Neilston and Kirkhill in relatively rural areas as a speculative development.

Loss of traffic

A major threat was already on the horizon, however, as the Rothesay Dock in Clydebank was under construction. It opened in 1907, equipped with modern mechanical handling equipment for bulk minerals; it was only 20 miles (32 km) from most of the coalfields, and sea-going ships could be loaded there. Much traffic was immediately diverted from Ardrossan, and use of the expensive new L&AR route declined steeply. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

passenger traffic as well as goods and mineral business declined further. Worse was to come, for the Railways Act 1921 put both the G&SWR and the Caledonian/L&AR routes under common ownership of the new

London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...

(LMS). The former G&SWR routes had better connectivity for the now sparse traffic, and on 28 July 1930 the first closure, to passenger traffic on the Irvine branch, took place. Total closure of the branch followed on 30 December 1930. The Kilbirnie branch too closed in 1930. This was followed on 4 July 1932 by cessation of local passenger services between Uplawmoor and Ardrossan. Through boat trains and excursions continued to use the line until 1939. On 16 June 1947 a short spur was installed near Ardeer between the G&SWR and the L&AR lines, enabling G&SWR line boat trains to use Montgomerie Pier. Nonetheless the last boat train ran on the route on 10 September 1965, and the L&AR route between Stevenston and Ardrossan closed completely on 18 April 1966.

Electrification

In the 1960s the modernisation of the railways was on the agenda, and consideration was given to the Glasgow suburban network. In fact the North Clyde lines were electrified from 1960. From Neilston to Newton the former L&AR line was in the area of suburban travel, but Uplawmoor was rural, and it was decided to electrify the Neilston and Newton lines on the 25 kV ac system which was then becoming the standard. Cathcart Junction and station were altered (on 6 March 1961) so as to give access towards Kirkhill and Newton from Maxwell Park, and an electrical control room was built at Cathcart. Neilston and Newton were to be treated as two branches served from Glasgow Central. Public service on these routes started on 27 May 1962. The steam service to Uplawmoor had been withdrawn on 2 April 1962.J C Gillham, ''The Age of the Electric Train'', Ian Allan Limited, London, 1988,

The present day

Today the only operational section of the former Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway is the line between Newton and Neilston. This section has become two suburban branch lines, from Newton to Glasgow Central via Kirkhill (alternating between the Maxwell Park and Mount Florida sides of the Cathcart Circle), and from Neilston to Glasgow Central via the Mount Florida side of the Cathcart Circle. The branches were electrified in the early 1960s. Frequent suburban passenger trains operate on the line, operated by ScotRail. The arrangement of the passenger platforms at Cathcart is such that the Maxwell Park to Newton trains pass behind them but cannot make a station call.Abellio ScotRail Travel Information Some landmarks of the railway still exist throughout the former route: a large viaduct remains to the north of Kilwinning, now used as part of the

National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...

. Two other prominent viaducts, namely the eleven arch span Gree viaduct and the seven arch span Giffenmill viaduct were both located between the former Lugton and Giffen stations were demolished in September 2006,Beith Online - Giffen Viaduct
and February 2008 respectively. Kilwinning viaduct

Barrmill Munitions Depot near Beith may still be active; it has a rail connection, but it has long been dormant. The route uses the first part of the GB&KJR Beith branch from Lugton to

Barrmill Barrmill is a small village in North Ayrshire, Scotland about east of Beith on the road to Burnhouse and Lugton. Locally it is known as the ''Barr''.Reid, Donald L. (2009). ''Discovering Matthew Anderson. Policeman-Poet of Ayrshire''. Beith : ...

, then continuing on the former Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway route.

Chronology and topography

Lines opened and closed: * Irvine branch completely closed 30 December 1939. * Lugton Junction to Neilston High closed 14 December 1964. * Stevenston to Ardrossan Montgomerie Pier closed to passengers 18 April 1966, and fully closed 6 May 1968. Stevenston rail flyover

Eventual main line: Opened Ardrossan to Barrmill (on the GB&KJR Beith branch) 4 September 1888; Giffen Junction to Cathcart opened for goods trains 1 April 1903 and to passenger trains 1 May 1903; Cathcart to Newton was opened 6 January 1904. After the Giffen Junction to Cathcart section was opened, the short section of the original main line from Giffen Junction to Barrmill Junction ceased to have a passenger service and was only used for occasional goods transfer purposes. Local passenger trains between Uplawmoor and Ardrossan were withdrawn from 4 July 1932 and stations Lugton to Saltcoats closed. However In 1933 the LMS introduced its "Evening Breathers" excursions in the summer of 1933. These offered a return journey from Glasgow to Stevenston, Saltcoats or Ardrossan for half the single fare; the stations were specially made available for the excursions; they proved extremely popular and were repeated in 1934. The section between Uplawmoor and Ardrossan limited to goods traffic and Ardrossan boat trains only from 1932; the boat trains were suspended during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1947 a spur was constructed at Stevenston from the G&SWR line to the L&AR line and from that time boat trains were routed from Glasgow via Dalry and the G&SWR line as far as this point; goods traffic continued to Auchenmade and Giffen until 1953. When the plans were being prepared for the South Side electrification of the Glasgow suburban railway network, it was decided to do so as far as Neilston only, and the section between Neilston and Uplawmoor was closed completely in April 1962. Clarkston curves 1911

There were several short spurs: a short industrial branch from near Stevenston to Ardeer opened 3 November 1888; a new connection was installed at Stevenston from the G&SWR line towards Ardrossan L&AR opened 16 June 1947 for boat train use; it closed on 25 September 1967; north of Lugton a connection trailed in from Lugton GB&KJR station, at Lugton East Junction; it was in existence from 1903 to 1944. At Clarkston West Junction, the subsequent location of Williamwood station, a facing connection towards Clarkston on the East Kilbride line (the former

Busby Railway The Busby Railway is a short railway line built on the south side of Glasgow, connecting the (at the time) small villages of Thornliebank, Giffnock, Clarkston and Busby and later Thorntonhall and East Kilbride with the city. It opened in two ...

) diverged; this was installed to give and alternative route for mineral trains from the Bothwell area towards Ardrossan and was opened in 1903. When the extension to Kirkhill and Newton opened the trains took that route instead. The Clarkston spur remained in place but little used, until it was closed on 29 October 1907.Jack Kernahan, ''The Cathcart Circle'', Scottish Railway Preservation Society, Falkirk, 1980, At Muirend a trailing junction from Clarkston was installed, but it may never have been actually connected at the Clarkston end, and served as storage sidings from Muirend during its lifetime.M E Quick, ''Railway Passenger Stations in England Scotland and Wales—A Chronology'', The Railway and Canal Historical Society, 2002 Lugton south connection: Cobb indicates that a connection from the GB&KJR line trailed in where the lines cross south of Lugton; he quotes "LMS 1930?" as the opening date and gives no closing date. No available mapping shows the line and no residual earthworks can be detected in satellite images. Such a line would have simply duplicated the existing connection to Lugton East Junction, and in 1930 use of the L&AR was declining steeply. It may be that this connection never existed and that the reference to it is a mistake.Col M H Cobb, ''The Railways of Great Britain -- A Historical Atlas'', Ian Allan Publishing Limited, Shepperton, 2003, Stations and locations; stations still open are in bold. The main line opened from Barrmill to Ardrossan on 4 September 1888; Ardrossan Pier extension opened on 30 May 1890; Giffen to Cathcart opened for goods on 1 April 1903, and for passengers on 1 May 1903: the Cathcart to Newton section was opened on 6 January 1904. The section between Uplawmoor and Stevenston no. 1 junction closed on 16 June 1947; the section from Stevenston no. 1 to Ardrossan closed to passenger trains on 10 September 1965, and completely on 18 April 1966. * Ardrossan Pier; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Ardrossan Montgomerie Pier 1924; not used during

; reopened 16 June 1947 using new Stevenston connection; closed 25 September 1967; * Ardrossan; renamed Ardrossan Town 1 October 1906; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Ardrossan North 2 June 1924; * Saltcoats; opened 4 September 1888; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Saltcoats North 2 June 1924; * Stevenston; opened 4 September 1888; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Stevenston Moor Park 2 June 1924; * Kilwinning; trailing junction from Irvine; opened 4 September 1888; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Kilwinning East 1924; * ''Lissens Sidings''; * Auchenmade; opened 4 September 1888; * ''Kilbirnie Junction''; trailing junction from Kilbirnie; * Kilbirnie Junction station; opened 4 September 1888; renamed Giffen 1889; * ''Giffen Junction''; facing junction to original main line to Giffen; * ''Gree Goods station''; opened 1 May 1903; closed circa 1950; * Lugton; opened 1 May 1903; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Lugton High 1924; * ''Lugton East Junction''; trailing junction from connecting line from Lugton GB&KJR 1903 - 1964; * Uplawmoor; opened 1 May 1903; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 2 March 1919; closed 2 April 1962; ''note: the Caldwell station on the GB&KJR line was then renamed Uplawmoor''; * Neilston; opened 1 May 1903; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 2 March 1919; renamed Neilston High 1924; renamed Neilston 1962; * ''Netherton Goods station''; opened 1 May 1903; closed circa 1960 and track lifted; the site remains in use for materials storage, etc. * ''Lyoncross Junction''; trailing junction from

Paisley and Barrhead District Railway The Paisley and Barrhead District Railway was a railway in Scotland that ran between the towns of Paisley and Barrhead. It was intended to serve industrial premises and develop local passenger and goods business. The Caledonian Railway managed ...

line; a passenger station was planned for the location but the scheme was abandoned when planned passenger operation on the Barrhead line was cancelled; the track configuration at the location is arranged for an island platform; * Patterton; opened 1 May 1903; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; * Whitecraigs; opened 1 May 1903; * Williamwood; opened 8 July 1929; facing junction to Clarkston 1903 - 1907; * Muirend; opened 1 May 1903; trailing junction from Clarkston; * ''Cathcart North Junction''; facing junction to Mount Florida line and trailing junction from Maxwell Park line; * King's Park; opened early October 1928; the apostrophe is omitted nowadays; trailing connection from Aikenhead Colliery 1904 - 1918; * Croftfoot; opened April 1931; * Burnside; opened 1 August 1904; * Kirkhill; * ''Kirkhill Tunnel''; * ''Kirkhill Junction''; facing junction to Carmyle line; opened 1 August 1904; closed 1968; * Newton; trailing junction with (former Clydesdale Junction Railway) main line. Irvine Branch Line opened 2 June 1890; closed to passengers 28 July 1930; closed completely 30 December 1939. * Kilwinning; see above; * Bogside; opened June 1900; described as golfers' station until closure 1 January 1917; reopened in daylight hours only 1 February 1919; renamed Bogside Moor 1924; later Bogside Moor Halt; * Irvine; closed 1 January 1917; reopened 1 February 1919; renamed Irvine Bank Street 2 June 1924. Kilbirnie branch. The line opened for goods 1 November 1889, and for passengers 2 December 1889; it closed to passenger trains on 1 December 1930; ordinary goods traffic ceased on the same day but some mineral traffic to Glengarnock ironworks continued; the line closed completely beyond Giffen Royal Naval Armament Depot in 1945; the line remains in place but dormant as far as the RNAD, now named Barrmill Munitions Depot. * Kilbirnie; renamed Kilbirnie South 2 June 1924; * ''Giffen RNAD''; later Barrmill Munitions Depot; * Glengarnock; renamed Glengarnock High 2 June 1924; * Brackenhills; opened 1 September 1906; * ''Barkip Junction''; connections to mineral lines; * ''Kilbirnie Junction''; see above. The line closed to passenger trains on 1 December 1930, and closed completely in 1945.

Company directors

At the time of the railway opening in 1888, the company directors were: *G. R. Vernon, M.P. (Chairman) *J. C. Cuninghame *The Earl of Eglinton and Winton *R. W. Knox *James Neilson *Archibald Russell *John Watson *John Cunninghame

Route diagram and connections to other lines

at Ardrossan Harbour and Stevenston No. 1 *

at Williamwood *

at the Cathcart East and West Junctions *

Clydesdale Junction Railway The Clydesdale Junction Railway company was formed to build a railway connecting Motherwell and Hamilton with Glasgow, in Scotland. Conceived for local journeys, it was used by the main line Caledonian Railway to get access to Glasgow, and was so ...

at Newton West Junction *

at Barrmill and Lugton *

Glasgow Central Railway The Glasgow Central Railway was a railway line built in Glasgow, Scotland by the Caledonian Railway, running in tunnel east to west through the city centre. It was opened in stages from 1894 and opened up new journey opportunities for passengers ...

at Kirkhill Junction and

Newton railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Newton railway station (geograph 3751384).jpg , borough = Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire , country = Scotland , coordinates = , grid_name = Grid reference , grid_position = , manager = S ...

at Lyoncross Junction between Patterton and Neilston

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * * *

External links

Auchenmade Station and Workers CottagesLissens Sidings
{{LMSconstituents Caledonian Railway Pre-grouping British railway companies Closed railway lines in Scotland Early Scottish railway companies Railway companies established in 1883 Railway lines opened in 1888 Railway companies disestablished in 1923 London, Midland and Scottish Railway constituents 1888 establishments in Scotland British companies established in 1883 British companies disestablished in 1923 1923 disestablishments in Scotland