Ways to breathe a bit of life back into Stranraer

[Scotrail314209]

Having passed through Stranraer today, I’ve noticed it’s a shadow of its former self which is an absolute shame.

Obviously one major way to breathe life back into the place is to reopen the Port Road between Stranraer and Dumfries, but I also want to know what other ideas anyone else has?

Another one is a possible Scotland - Isle of Man ferry, using a regenerated Stranraer Harbour as it’s departure point.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Hasn't the line to Stranraer been something of a financial basket case since the ferry operations were (mostly) moved to Cairnryan?

 

[NoMorePacers]

The line to Stranraer seems to suffer a similar issue to the Whitby line in that it's at the end of a single track branch line that's miles away from anywhere and rather slow. I can imagine a bus link of some description being quicker than the train.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Having passed through Stranraer today, I’ve noticed it’s a shadow of its former self which is an absolute shame.

Obviously one major way to breathe life back into the place is to reopen the Port Road between Stranraer and Dumfries, but I also want to know what other ideas anyone else has?

Another one is a possible Scotland - Isle of Man ferry, using a regenerated Stranraer Harbour as it’s departure point.

As a matter of interest, where were you passing through Stranraer to?

Re-opening the Port Road would just add another route simply going to, err, Stranraer.

No disrespect to the place, which I visited quite a few times when I worked in Scotland, but it isn't really much of a honeypot in its own right. And it is far to far away from a major city to envisage significant outward commuting or housing growth.

 

[MarkyT]

The station is isolated at the end of the quay, nearly half a mile away across the derelict exposed wasteland of the former ferry port, yet the line passes much closer to the town centre to get there. It's no wonder no one uses it! A replacement station on the straight and level single line by the A77 overbridge combined with a bus interchange would be far more useful. The track beyond, with its run-round facility, might still be retained for excursions if desired.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

It could be promoted as an attractive place for retirement, with more than 10 000 inhabitants it doubtless has all the facilities one needs
Likewise Barrow-by-the-loch-district

 

[Gloster]

Wasn’t there a plan to divert trains into the old Town station? Looking at google it would appear to be still a fair way from the town centre, but it probably isn’t as exposed.

 

[randyrippley]

Having passed through Stranraer today, I’ve noticed it’s a shadow of its former self which is an absolute shame.

Obviously one major way to breathe life back into the place is to reopen the Port Road between Stranraer and Dumfries, but I also want to know what other ideas anyone else has?

Another one is a possible Scotland - Isle of Man ferry, using a regenerated Stranraer Harbour as it’s departure point.

The Steam Packet have tried a Scotland - Isle of Man ferry in the past. They chartered the Claymore from Calmac. It ran at a loss, not enough trade. That was around 25 years ago, if there wasn't enough traffic then, the situation would be hopeless now.

(Incidentally.......the Claymore was so slow that on occasion it was actually recorded going backwards with the current while at full power)

==edit==
I've just corrected the name of the ship, it was the Claymore, not the Clansman. Faulty memory...

 

[Scotrail314209]

I was coming down from Ayr to head to Dumfries. The 500 bus from Stranraer to Dumfries is very popular...

I agree a new station in the town would work well, it would save a walk all the way down to the end of the pier.

The Steam Packet have tried a Scotland - Isle of Man ferry in the past. They chartered the Clansman from Calmac. It ran at a loss, not enough trade. That was around 25 years ago, if there wasn't enough traffic then, the situation would be hopeless now.

(Incidentally.......the Clansman was so slow that on occasion it was actually recorded going backwards with the current while at full power)

No wonder it made a bit of a loss, they chartered out what is probably one of CalMac’s worst vessels. Clansman is plagued with faults.

 

[Cowley]

I went to Stranraer on a cold wet windy day earlier this year and it was pretty bleak.
It had the feel of a town that’s had its reason to exist removed and I don’t know how it’ll ever get back from the decline it’s currently on.

 

[randyrippley]

No wonder it made a bit of a loss, they chartered out what is probably one of CalMac’s worst vessels. Clansman is plagued with faults.

Just realised my memory was faulty - it was the Claymore, not the Clansman

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I went to Stranraer on a cold wet windy day earlier this year and it was pretty bleak.
It had the feel of a town that’s had its reason to exist removed and I don’t know how it’ll ever get back from the decline it’s currently on.

As mentioned upthread, Stranraer's raison d'etre was lost when the main ferry crossing to Ireland moved up to Cairnryan.

You could well say that the town is now in terminal decline.

 

[Cowley]

As mentioned upthread, Stranraer's raison d'etre was lost when the main ferry crossing to Ireland moved up to Cairnryan.

You could well say that the town is now in terminal decline.

I’m not starting one of these up again as I’ll have to get myself put on moderation.

 

[Scotrail314209]

As mentioned upthread, Stranraer's raison d'etre was lost when the main ferry crossing to Ireland moved up to Cairnryan.

You could well say that the town is now in terminal decline.

Good pun, but it's a shame to see that it is happening.

Slightly off topic, but with all the talk of them moving the Arran ferry from Ardrossan (where I live) to Troon, it looks like Ardrossan might go the same way in the not too distant future.

How easily accessible is Cairnryan to everybody coming from the West of Scotland and beyond? I understand Citylink run the 923 that calls at Cairnryan allowing passengers to alight, but if you didn't take the coach how easy is it to get to the place?

 

[30907]

Good pun, but it's a shame to see that it is happening.

Slightly off topic, but with all the talk of them moving the Arran ferry from Ardrossan (where I live) to Troon, it looks like Ardrossan might go the same way in the not too distant future.

How easily accessible is Cairnryan to everybody coming from the West of Scotland and beyond? I understand Citylink run the 923 that calls at Cairnryan allowing passengers to alight, but if you didn't take the coach how easy is it to get to the place?

Googlemaps says there's a 2-hourly bus from the suburbs of Girvan (which must be one of those split-in-two routes to comply with drivers' hours rules and actually comes from Ayr) - however it makes quite a detour in Girvan. And the daily Stena rail link.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Stranraer

Googlemaps says there's a 2-hourly bus from the suburbs of Girvan (which must be one of those split-in-two routes to comply with drivers' hours rules and actually comes from Ayr) - however it makes quite a detour in Girvan. And the daily Stena rail link.

Yep there is, that's how I got to Stranraer. It runs as a 58 or a 60 from Ayr to Girvan, then it becomes either a 358 or 360, reason for the two different numbers is because each one takes a different route.

 

[30907]

Thanks.
The Stranraer-Dumfries bus doesn't serve Cairnryan, and has either very tight or very slack connections at Port Rodie bus "interchange."

 

[Scotrail314209]

Thanks.
The Stranraer-Dumfries bus doesn't serve Cairnryan, and has either very tight or very slack connections at Port Rodie bus "interchange."

I don't think Cairnryan has a decent hourly bus service either. The 358 and the 360 only serve it roughly every 2 hours, the 358 is every 2 hours roughly southbound, with the 360 being 2 per day. Altogether it's a very unbalanced bus service.


Would there be any room for a branch off of the Ayr - Stranraer line to serve Cairnryan, or even if a re-opened Port Road was to branch off near Stranraer and run up to Cairnryan?

Pre-COVID the train between Ayr and Stranraer was always reasonably well loaded and with enough investment it could sustain an hourly service.

 

[Gloster]

Would there be any room for a branch off of the Ayr - Stranraer line to serve Cairnryan, or even if a re-opened Port Road was to branch off near Stranraer and run up to Cairnryan?

There was a military railway that branched off the Port Road on the outskirts of Stranraer: opened in 1942, it finally closed in 1967. It would probably be technically possible to rebuild it, but almost certainly not economically viable to do so. Coming in from the north would be an even worse option, due to the distance and terrain.

 

[Hardcastle]

I've always wondered why there was not a Wetherspoon pub in Stranraer i know they generally do not open in places with a population of 15k unless there is tourist or hotel potential but as the serve NI i would have thought it would be a good drop off point enroute having visited within the last 2 years i know it's a little run down but it's no worse than some other places & yes going back to the railway station it does need moving nearer the centre of town but at what cost.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I think the first thing that needs doing is 100% moving the station. The buses drop off in a good location, roughly the centre of Stranraer in area which I think is near to the old Stranraer Town station.

There is absolutely nothing there so you could easily move the station down just a bit...

Maybe there could be a carriage siding at the old station to service the 156 that stables there every night.

I also think it should get a proper bus station instead of the few bus stops it has at the moment. You could make it an interchange with a new station.

 

[Gloster]

I think the first thing that needs doing is 100% moving the station. The buses drop off in a good location, roughly the centre of Stranraer in area which I think is near to the old Stranraer Town station.

There is absolutely nothing there so you could easily move the station down just a bit...

Maybe there could be a carriage siding at the old station to service the 156 that stables there every night.

I also think it should get a proper bus station instead of the few bus stops it has at the moment. You could make it an interchange with a new station.

It appears that the bus station is at Port Rodie, down by the harbour. The old Town station is around half a mile away to the south-east; it was on the old line to Portpatrick. Putting a platform just north of the A77 bridge, roughly where the car unloading terminal was, would at least produce a better placed station than the present one. They could even send the buses down to the station as there seems to be plenty of room for turning, but they would probably just stick a stop up on the bridge or at the exit out on to the A77.

 

[FQTV]

The line to Stranraer seems to suffer a similar issue to the Whitby line in that it's at the end of a single track branch line that's miles away from anywhere and rather slow. I can imagine a bus link of some description being quicker than the train.

I’d suggest that they’re barely vaguely comparable.

 

[RT4038]

It appears that the bus station is at Port Rodie, down by the harbour. The old Town station is around half a mile away to the south-east; it was on the old line to Portpatrick. Putting a platform just north of the A77 bridge, roughly where the car unloading terminal was, would at least produce a better placed station than the present one. They could even send the buses down to the station as there seems to be plenty of room for turning, but they would probably just stick a stop up on the bridge or at the exit out on to the A77.

Before spending £millions on relocating Stranraer station, exactly who are the extra people that would use the station in the relocated position, who wouldn't use it where it is now? Really? How many extra tickets would need to be sold to recuperate the cost of the relocation?

Rather than Whitby, I would think the closest similarity in the UK to the position of Stranraer is Bude. Far away from any centres of population, and even then Bude has a larger holiday trade, ( and no railway station since 1966).

 

[daodao]

Before spending £millions on relocating Stranraer station, exactly who are the extra people that would use the station in the relocated position, who wouldn't use it where it is now? Really? How many extra tickets would need to be sold to recuperate the cost of the relocation?

Rather than Whitby, I would think the closest similarity in the UK to the position of Stranraer is Bude. Far away from any centres of population, and even then Bude has a larger holiday trade, ( and no railway station since 1966).

Building a single platform closer to the town centre on an existing railway line shouldn't be prohibitively expensive. A good comparison would be Fishguard, where a station was reopened a few years ago of more use to local passengers than the Harbour station.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Building a single platform closer to the town centre on an existing railway line shouldn't be prohibitively expensive. A good comparison would be Fishguard, where a station was reopened a few years ago of more use to local passengers than the Harbour station.

Or indeed Ardrossan Town, handier than Ardrossan Harbour (or South Beach).

 

[Scotrail314209]

You could easily make it one of those flatpack stations that Scotrail bragged about when they finished building Robroyston, looks like that'd be a relatively cheap method... even cheaper now that they wouldn't need to mess around with a footbridge and lift.

 

[RT4038]

Building a single platform closer to the town centre on an existing railway line shouldn't be prohibitively expensive. A good comparison would be Fishguard, where a station was reopened a few years ago of more use to local passengers than the Harbour station.

But what would be the point? Are there many people in Stranraer who do not travel, or would make more trips, by public transport because of where the railway station is? I really doubt it. Every journey out of Stranraer is long distance by definition - attracting passengers from the bus [which is poorly patronised as well] is not going to help public transport, and will likely deprive the the small coastal communities their service for no gains whatsoever. The train has no local traffic at all.

The key to breathing life back into the Stranraer line lies away from the railway and into the general economy and tourist attraction of Stranraer and surrounds. Better to spend the money on that first.

 

[MarkyT]

But what would be the point? Are there many people in Stranraer who do not travel, or would make more trips, by public transport because of where the railway station is? I really doubt it. Every journey out of Stranraer is long distance by definition - attracting passengers from the bus [which is poorly patronised as well] is not going to help public transport, and will likely deprive the the small coastal communities their service for no gains whatsoever. The train has no local traffic at all.

The key to breathing life back into the Stranraer line lies away from the railway and into the general economy and tourist attraction of Stranraer and surrounds. Better to spend the money on that first.

Where the station is today is completely irrational when there's a good alternative site much closer to the town that wouldn't even need any track alterations. Your argument seems to be to continue transporting fresh air. Truncating the line to somewhere near the A77 bridge could also release more land in the former port area for the desirable economic development.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I think personally it’s about time the Scottish Government poured some well needed investment into Stranraer, rather than focusing on the Central Belt.