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Glasgow South Western Line - station re-openings

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AJS90

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It’s slightly hard to believe that once upon a time Kirkconnel was the only intermediate station between Dumfries and Kilmarnock.

No fewer than four stations were reopened between Carlisle and Kilmarnock between 1984 and 1994. But looking at the line on a map, it seems as though stations were haphazardly selected for reopening.

Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock, Thornhill and Eastriggs all seem big enough to support small stations. Does anyone know why these were never re-opened by BR or why the development of this line is not seriously talked about now?
 
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Millisle

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The railway at Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock and Thornhill is unattractively positioned relative to the settlements and alternative bus services. Eastriggs is very small. There is a lobby for Eastriggs and Thornhill nevertheless in Dumfriesshire.
The market for the line is not easy to expand owing to speed and geography without investment, for which their seems to be little will at national level. Nevertheless the cynic in me has always felt that, were Carlisle in Scotland, Transport Scotland would try harder. Some Dumfriesians even drive to Lockerbie instead to get the train to Glasgow.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Some Dumfriesians even drive to Lockerbie instead to get the train to Glasgow.
Based on little more than personal ad hoc observation over the years, patronage from Lockerbie into Glasgow Central has always seemed to be somewhat more than from Dumfries. Quicker journey times a possible factor?

Conversely, also seems to me as if there are usually more train passengers travelling from Dumfries into Carlisle (than from Lockerbie).
 

Millisle

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Yes, indeed the journey times to Glasgow are the motivation. Occasionally the quality of the trains is mentioned too, but that is a secondary factor.
The market south from Lockerbie to Carlisle is much more local to the town and consequently quite small.
 

greyman42

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It’s slightly hard to believe that once upon a time Kirkconnel was the only intermediate station between Dumfries and Kilmarnock.
I remember travelling on a Euston to Glasgow service that called at these three stations. Late 70s i believe. I think they changed the loco at Carlisle.
 

hexagon789

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I remember travelling on a Euston to Glasgow service that called at these three stations. Late 70s i believe. I think they changed the loco at Carlisle.
Given the relatively few services south of Kilmarnock then they all called at the three remaining stations of Kirkconnel, Dumfries and Annan. The sleeper I believe omitted Kirkconnel but the three daytime Glasgow-Nottinghams called there.
 

Dr Hoo

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It’s slightly hard to believe that once upon a time Kirkconnel was the only intermediate station between Dumfries and Kilmarnock.

No fewer than four stations were reopened between Carlisle and Kilmarnock between 1984 and 1994. But looking at the line on a map, it seems as though stations were haphazardly selected for reopening.

Hurlford, Mauchline, Cumnock, Thornhill and Eastriggs all seem big enough to support small stations. Does anyone know why these were never re-opened by BR or why the development of this line is not seriously talked about now?
(Writing as someone who worked for 'ScotRail' in this era.)
In general station re-openings came with local authority funding rather than being paid for BR.
Strathclyde Regional Council paid for Auchinleck and New Cumnock. Dumfries & Galloway had Sanquhar and Gretna Green. I remember spending quite a bit of time sussing the area out, walking round the settlements, seeing how people used local buses and so on.
Some of the places were really struggling economically. It wasn't the sort of territory where households had a second car to leave in a station car park all day and that kind of thing.
The service had been very thin. It was only with the Class 156 Sprinters that we started to have a product that could be developed but it would have been a mistake to slow it down with even more stops. Quite a few trains had a lot of stops north of Kilmarnock too.
(I can't comment on how things are these days.)
 
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