The Darvel Branch was an extension of the former

Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway The Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&AR) was a railway in Scotland that provided train services between Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Ayr. It opened its first line, between Glasgow and Ayr, in stages from 1839 to 1840. The section b ...

in Scotland built by the

Glasgow and South Western Railway The Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) was the third biggest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping. It served a triangular area of south-west Scotland between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle, Cumbria, Ca ...

to allow trains to travel between

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock ( ; ; , ), meaning "the church of Mernóc", is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the region's main ...

and

Darvel Darvel (, ) is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is at the eastern end of the Loudoun, Irvine Valley and is sometimes referred to as "The Lang Toon" (). The town's Latin motto, , means "Not for ourselves, but for others". History Prehis ...

History

The line was built in stages, and originally opened as far as Galston on 9 August 1848.Wham, page 47 The branch was extended to

Newmilns Newmilns is a village in the burgh of Newmilns and Greenholm, in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people (2001 census) and lies on the A71 road, A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of G ...

on 20 May 1850, and finally reached Darvel much later on 1 June 1896. Shortly after, on 1 May 1905, the line ceased to become a branch and became a through line to

Strathaven Strathaven ( ; from ) is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is the largest settlement in Avondale. It is south of Hamilton. The Powmillon Burn runs through the town centre, and joins the Avon Water to the east of the to ...

and beyond when the Glasgow and South Western Railway and the

Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was one of the two biggest of the five major Scottish railway companies prior to the 1923 Grouping. It was formed in 1845 with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively ex ...

opened a jointly run line. However, despite being a through line, no trains ever ran between Kilmarnock and Strathaven,Stansfield, page 20 instead the two companies took it in turns to run the line between Darvel and Strathaven every six months. The line east of Darvel was never successful and closed in 1939, with the rest of the line closed to passengers on 6 April 1964. Little evidence of the line still exists today, aside from the occasional embankment and cutting along the route. One notable landmark is a 26-arch

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

in Newmilns, part of which crosses the

River Irvine The River Irvine () is a river that flows through southwest Scotland. Its watershed is on the Lanarkshire border of Ayrshire at an altitude of above sea-level, near Loudoun Hill, Drumclog, and SW by W of Strathaven. It flows westward, divid ...

, and most of which cuts through the middle of the town.Wham, page 50

Gallery

Image:Darvel branch bridge.jpg, A partially filled in bridge near Barleith railway station in 2007 Image:Newmilns viaduct.jpg, Newmilns viaduct in 2007 Image:Newmilns missing bridge.jpg, A missing bridge east of Newmilns viaduct in 2007

Connections to other lines

* Darvel and Strathaven Railway east of Darvel *

at Galston Branch Junction *

Kilmarnock and Troon Railway The Kilmarnock and Troon Railway was an early railway line in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was constructed to bring coal from pits around Kilmarnock to coastal shipping at Troon Harbour, and passengers were carried. It opened in 1812, and was the f ...

west of Riccarton

References

Notes

Sources

* * * * * {{Historical Scottish railway companies Pre-grouping British railway companies Early Scottish railway companies Railway lines opened in 1896 Railway lines closed in 1964 Beeching closures in Scotland