REGISTER OF CLOSED RAILWAYS

RCH Edinburgh & Glasgow District 1915 - Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

Auchinleck Jct. - Cronberry Jct. CL 03/07/1950 when the local service from Auchinleck - Muirkirk was withdrawn - RM Aug 1950 p569.

RO 10/09/1951 (along with Annbank - Mauchline) for rerouted Ayr - Muirkirk - Lanark/Edinburgh* trains following closure of the Annbank - Cronberry via Drongan line from the same date.

Cronberry Jct. - Muirkirk remained open for the duration until Auchinleck Jct. - Muirkirk (excl.) CL 01/10/1951 when the Ayr - Lanark/Edinburgh service was cut back to Muirkirk - RM Dec 1951 p855 (see below); PNM p67.

RM Dec 1951 p855:

Ayr - Muirkirk Train Services

Although the cross-country services between Ayr and Muirkirk, via Trabboch and Cumnock, were withdrawn on September 10, the daily through trains between Ayr, Muirkirk and Edinburgh continued to run, but via Tarbolton, Mauchline, Auchinleck, and Cronberry. This alteration brought back into regular use the line from Auchinleck to Cronberry, which had been closed to passengers since July 3, 1950. From October 1, however, these trains were withdrawn between Ayr and Muirkirk. 

*Apologies if anyone has hitherto found the pages covering these lines somewhat confusing, contradictory and incomplete. I have now, hopefully, sorted them out. The information is accurate to the best of my knowledge and I hope the page arrangements are intelligible! It is a very complex litany of closures and reopenings. Dates quoted in other publications vary according to LTR, ACD or OCD.

There are still a couple of oustanding issues.

One relates to the service from Ayr to Edinburgh via Muirkirk. It last appears in B1273 Aug 1939 770. It then disappears for the duration of WW2 to reappear in B1345 Aug 1945 770 as an Ayr - Lanark via Muirkirk service. I can find no reference to through carriages to/from Edinburgh post-war. However, RM explicitly refers to it and I have no reason to doubt that it did operate.

Interestingly, B1416 10 to 30 September 1951 1052-3 Table 331 shows the service between Ayr and Muirkirk via Drongan still operating when in reality it was withdrawn from 10/09/1951. Was the Ayr - Muirkirk - Lanark (and Edinburgh?) service continued due to this apparent timetabling error, as the original route via Drongan would have been closed, (and possibly out of commission)? Alternatively, was the line from Annbank to Cronberry via Drongan closed prematurely, its original closure date being planned for 01/10/1951? Both are plausible and would account for the continuation of the service for the duration of the timetable via Mauchline. I have yet to uncover any evidence, contemporary or otherwise, to support this.   

Another outstanding issue relates to the seasonal trains operating over the Mauchline Jct. - Newton Jct. line. Did any seasonal dated trains operate after 23/08/1975 until final closure on 13/06/1977?

Page updated: 20/07/2022