Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway

The Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway (GB&NDR) was authorised on 4 August 1845 to build its line of nine miles (15 km) with a capital of £150,000. It was to run from a terminal on the south side of Glasgow to Crofthead, near Neilston. The location was the centre of several local industries, in the valley of the Cowdon Burn, on the Ayr Road below Neilston.

Two short branches, to Thornliebank, and to Househill were authorised in the following year, with an additional £35,000 capital.[1]

The Glasgow terminal was somewhat remote from the city—Glasgow Bridge carried a toll at this time—but a small railway company could ill afford a central terminus.

Many early railways had been simply a means to move coal and other heavy minerals from a pit to a waterway. By the 1840s it was evident that they had a more strategic role, and in 1846 a Royal Commission deliberated on the desirable location of passenger and goods terminals to serve the city of Glasgow and the quays on the Clyde.

The Caledonian Railway CR had just been authorised (in 1845) and planned to get access to the city over the route of the Garnkirk and Glasgow Railway (by now transformed into the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway) which terminated at Townhead, in the north-east margin of the city. Taking a strategic view the CR hoped to get authorisation for a more central terminal, and it collaborate with the GB&NDR to promote a passenger terminal in the city centre. Together they proposed the Glasgow Southern Terminal Railway, which would be located near St Enoch's Square, crossing the Clyde near Glasgow Bridge. It got as far as an authorising Act of Parliament, on 16 July 1846, but the details were left subject to approval by various authorities. In fact the Admiralty demanded a swing bridge for the Clyde crossing, and combined with other opposition, the scheme faced too much obstruction, and was reduced to the construction of a terminal station called South Side, in the angle of Pollokshaws Road and Cathcart Street.[2]

The Glasgow Southern Terminal Railway was absorbed by the GB&NDR by Act of Parliament of 2 July 1847, which also authorised a deviation of the route.[1] The CR also obtained authority to lease the GB&NDR line.

At this period the Ardrossan Railway had grand plans to reach Glasgow from Ardrossan, where the 12th Earl of Eglinton had expended considerable sums improving the harbour; the Ardrossan Railway was largely sponsored by him. Its natural enemy was the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway (GPK&AR), which was building in that part of Ayrshire, and the Ardrossan company had purchased large quantities of GB&NDR shares, "to stop the Glasgow and Ayr swamping it".[3] If the Ardrossan company was hostile to the GPK&AR, then the Caledonian was a friend of the Ardrossan. A physical link between the GB&NDR and the Ardrossan company had been suggested, and the Caledonian calculated that possession of the GB&NDR would give it access to much of Ayrshire, beating off the GPK&AR.[note 1] In 1846 the Ardrossan Company had obtained Parliamentary authority to build a line from Crofthead, intended terminus of the GB&NDR, and Kilwinning and Kilmarnock.[2]

GB&NDR system in 1848

The GB&NDR opened its line as far a Barrhead terminus on 27 September 1848; the station was in the Grahamston district below the town, and on the north-west side of the Water of Levern. The Glasgow station was South Side.

The 1847 Act had merely authorised the lease by the Caledonian; the terms had to be negotiated, and these were being finalised by a further Act of 1 August 1849, by which time the CR had succeeded in reducing its financial commitment to the original GB&NDR shareholders; even so the outlay was £16,500 on a 999-year lease; "receipts were barely enough to cover the working costs".[2]

On 1 June 1849 the Clydesdale Junction Railway CJR was completed, terminating at South Side station. The CJR was effectively under the control of the Caledonian Railway, and trains to and from England now used the station. From 10 September 1849 trains from the Hamilton line also used the station. In that year the station was rebuilt to a design of William Tite; although cramped, the facade was imposing.[2]

In 1865 the G&SWR promoted a Bill to build a line from Kilmarnock to Glasgow via Stewarton—the direct route which the citizens of Kilmarnock had wanted from the GBK&AR at the outset. The Caledonian responded with a Bill to extend the Glasgow Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway, which they leased and worked, from Crofthead (i.e. Neilston) to Kilmarnock. Both these schemes obtained Parliamentary authority. The lines would be closely parallel, and at this time the respective shareholders strenuously made it clear that the duplicate expenditure was wasteful.

At first the compromise was that the two routes would converge at Stewarton, continuing as a single route to the G&SWR station at Kilmarnock. In fact the proposals were held in suspense for some time, until in the 1869 session a Bill was put forward merging the schemes entirely: the rival companies agreed to build the line jointly from Crofthead to Kilmarnock. This was authorised by a fresh Act of Parliament on 12 July 1869, which cancelled the two earlier Acts. The line was to be called the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Line. The G&SWR had already constructed a short length northwards from Kilmarnock, and now extended that to make an end on junction with the GB&NDR line at Neilston. By then a new station had been opened at Neilston, on 27 March 1871, forming the temporary southern extremity of the GB&NDR line.[4]

GB&KJR system in 1873

The line between Barrhead and Neilston was closed temporarily from 1 May 1870 to enable the doubling of the line; the new Neilston station was located a short distance on the Kilmarnock side of the former location.[5][6]

The 1869 Act had authorised building a short connecting line from near South Side to the City of Glasgow Union Railway, which had been authorised in 1863, so as to enable G&SWR trains on the Kilmarnock line to reach the planned St Enoch (passenger) and College (goods) terminals. The Act included a clause imposing a penalty of £60,000 if the through line were not ready by 28 June 1872.

In fact the deadline was not met: the line was opened only as far as Stewarton on 27 March 1871.[5] An Act of 25 July 1872 removed the penalty as well as clarifying the City Union line connection. The through route was opened on 26 June 1873. As well as the line from Glasgow to Kilmarnock, there was a branch to Beith from Barrmill, opened on the same day. However the Glasgow terminal remained the awkwardly located South Side station: the connection towards St Enoch was not ready.[note 2] The former Glasgow, Barrhead and Neilston Direct Railway company was bought out.[4][5][7]

The new route was difficult to operate: "a veritable switchback" with 3½ miles (5 km) of 1 in 67-70 on Neilston bank.[4]

The G&SWR discontinued its passenger service from South Side station towards Kilmarnock on 1 September 1877.