Fairlie railway station

Fairlie railway station serves the village of Fairlie, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The station is managed by ScotRail and is on the Ayrshire Coast Line.

Fairlie

National Rail
Fairlie station viewed from the overbridge further North up the track
General information
LocationFairlie, North Ayrshire
Scotland
Coordinates55°45′05″N 4°51′12″W / 55.7515°N 4.8532°W / 55.7515; -4.8532
Grid referenceNS209546
Managed byScotRail
Transit authoritySPT
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeFRL
History
Original companyG&SWR Largs Branch
Post-groupingLMS
Key dates
1 June 1880Opened as Fairlie
30 June 1952Renamed Fairlie Town
2 March 1953Renamed Fairlie High
1980sRenamed Fairlie
Passengers
2019/20Increase 41,914
2020/21Decrease 3,486
2021/22Increase 20,370
2022/23Increase 29,974
2023/24Increase 36,164
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

edit
 
318 253 at Fairlie with a Glasgow bound train in the first month of electric trains to Largs

The station was originally opened on 1 June 1880 by the Glasgow and South Western Railway during the extension of the former Ardrossan Railway to Largs.[2] It was renamed Fairlie Town on 30 June 1952,[2] however this name was short-lived and the station became Fairlie High on 2 March 1953.[2] A camping coach was positioned here by the Scottish Region from 1954 to 1955, two coaches from 1956 to 1957 and two coaches again from 1961 to 1963.[3] The station was renamed back to its original title some time before 1986.

Following the construction of Hunterston A nuclear power station, a siding was provided for flask trains, which was subsequently used for Hunterston B. In the mid 1990s, this was moved to the Hunterston Ore Terminal.

Originally a two platform station, it now has only one platform, the former northbound platform. The southbound platform was demolished and its track removed as part of the electrification of the Largs branch of the Ayrshire Coast Line in 1986. The 1,004-yard (918 m) long Fairlie Tunnel is directly to the north of the station.

Services

edit

The basic service runs throughout the week, including Sundays (though Sunday trains make additional mainline stops). Additional trains run during the weekday business peaks.[4]

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Largs   ScotRail
Ayrshire Coast Line
  West Kilbride
  Historical railways  
Largs
Line and station open
  Glasgow and South Western Railway
Largs Branch
  West Kilbride
Line and station open
Fairlie Pier
Line and station closed
  Glasgow and South Western Railway
Largs Branch
 

References

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Brailsford 2017, Gaelic/English Station Index.
  2. ^ a b c Butt 1995, p. 93.
  3. ^ McRae 1998, p. 59.
  4. ^ Table 221 National Rail timetable, May 2016

Sources

edit
  • Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
  • McRae, Andrew (1998). British Railways Camping Coach Holidays: A Tour of Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. Vol. Scenes from the Past: 30 (Part Two). Foxline. ISBN 1-870119-53-3.
edit