Ardeer Platform railway station was 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 Nobel Industries division of Imperial Chemical Industries near the town of Stevenston, North Ayrshire,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

History

Opened in 1896, the station and its associated branch line were known locally as "Nobel's private line",McSherry, p. 39 although in reality both the line and station were jointly run by the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) and the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway (L&AR). The station was originally called Ardeer Works Platform but at some point the 'Works' title was dropped.Butt, p. 17 The branch became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the

Grouping Grouping may refer to: * Muenchian grouping * Principles of grouping * Railways Act 1921, also known as Grouping Act, a reorganisation of the British railway system * Grouping (firearms), the pattern of multiple shots from a sidearm See also ...

of 1923, later passed on to the Scottish Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948, and eventually closed by the

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on 3 October 1966. The station was a long, single platform to accommodate the thousands of personnel that once worked at the factory, and was long enough to accommodate two trains. Originally the platform was wooden but at some point was replaced with a concrete platform. A long shelter was also situated on the platform in later years. The station was primarily used by factory workers however in 1902 the station was used by the various

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

s of the

British Colonies A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Coun ...

and their guests, along with the provost and

magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

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 ...

to visit the factory after the Coronation of

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

. Today the platform still exists although heavily overgrown and in disrepair. The branch from the

Ayrshire Coast Line The Ayrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within the Strathclyde suburban rail network in Scotland. It has 26 stations and connects the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow. There are three branches, to , and , all running into the high level at . ...

that carried trains to the station still existed (branching off in another direction just before the platform) until the early 2000s, now only a small stub off the main line remains. Because of the large numbers of workers using the station, a second platform had to be built on the other side of the

River Garnock The River Garnock ( gd, Gairneag / Abhainn Ghairneig), the smallest of Ayrshire's six principal rivers, has its source on the southerly side of the Hill of Stake in the heart of the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. About a mile and a half south of t ...

at the so-called 'Snodgrass branch'Smith, p. 29 (named after the former

Snodgrass The family name Snodgrass is said to originate from lands in the parish of Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, known as Snodgrasse, or Snodgers, at a bend in the River Garnock at 55°38' north, 4°42' west, which were rented out in plots. Both forms are ...

village in the area) in the 1940s. Access to this platform was gained via the Glasgow to Ayr line, just north of

Bogside railway station Bogside railway station was a railway station serving the north of the town of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station was originally part of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (now the Ayrshire Coast Line). History The st ...

. This branch is now also a small stub.

Future

Plans for redevelopment of the Ardeer Peninsula by NPL Estates include the possibility of reopening the former Nobel branch for industrial use. The plans also include a proposed station near to the former Stevenston No. 1 Junction, where the Nobel line joined the former G&SWR main line.Ardeer Peninsula Masterplan, p. 15

References

Notes

Sources

* * * *
Station on navigable O.S. map.Ardeer Works are south of Stevenston station.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardeer Platform Railway Station Disused railway stations in North Ayrshire Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1896 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1966 Former Caledonian Railway stations Former Glasgow and South Western Railway stations Ardrossan−Saltcoats−Stevenston