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This junction did not exist on the 1890 Ardrossan Montgomerie Pier to Barrmill Junction line. The Caledonian Railway, having control over the Lanarkshire and Ayrshire Railway, was keen to own entirely a route to Ardrossan. From Barrmill Junction to Langside Junction the line was jointly owned with the Glasgow and South Western Railway.

So, from a new Giffen Junction an independent route was opened in 1903 running east via Lugton High and Neilston to Glasgow, ultimately extending as far as Newton. From 1903 the short section between Giffen Junction and Barrmill Junction was closed. Track remained intact until 1930. A box opened at Giffen Junction in 1902, in anticipation of the new line. This was north of Giffen station and at the junction, on the north/west side of the line.

After 1923 the Caledonian Railway and Glasgow and South Western Railway were grouped into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. As there were now two routes from Glasgow to Ardrossan owned by the same company the former Caledonian route, a more demanding route, was progressively closed down.

Oddly the LMS lifted the disused track between Giffen Junction and Barrmill Junction in 1930 (rather than the duplication from Giffen to Lugton), having finally closed the boxes at the two junctions the previous year. Passenger closure was in 1932 to regular trains with only boat trains continuing.

Kilwinning East became a terminus in 1947 and the route north through Giffen Junction singled.

It took until 1950 for the Giffen Junction to Lugton East Junction line to close, being replaced by the short Giffen Junction to Barrmill Junction line re-opening.

In 1953 the line south of Giffen closed, the line being retained that far to serve RNAD Beith until the late 1980s. Track remains in place, not maintained since the early 2000s.

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