This is a two platform terminus station which, just to the south, continues as a single track to Fairlie. There is a small, modern, glazed station building on the east side. The station opened in 1885, with the extension of the line north from Fairlie Pier Junction.
At its height this was a four platform station - two on either side and an island in the middle. There were three tracks between the platforms on each side - two platform lines and an engine release line in the middle. Platforms had glazed canopies and there was a large glazed circulating area.
To the south was a goods yard on the east side, approached from the south, with a large goods shed. There was a signal box on the west side, to the south of the goods facilities which burned down in 1985 (there was a temporary replacement).
In 1986 the station was drastically cut back to only the west side. This was in preparation for electrification when the railway was reduced to a single track. The temporary box was replaced by Paisley Signalling Centre.
On 11 July 1995 a train over-ran the buffers and crashed through the station - bringing down the glazed roof. The roof and canopy was removed as a result and station facilities were cut back to a portacabin for a number of years.
North of the station is Largs Pier and Largs Slip from which Caledonian MacBrayne runs a ferry service to the Great Cumbrae, an island a mile offshore.
Near the station, to the north west, is Largs Museum .
Not far north of the station and facing Largs Bay is Nardinis Cafe and Ice Cream Parlour.
To the south is the Largs Pencil, commemorating the Battle of Largs of 1263.
Nearby stations Fairlie Pier Fairlie Wemyss Bay [1st] Wemyss Bay West Kilbride Kilbirnie (South) Kilbirnie [2nd] Inverkip Glengarnock High Glengarnock Duchal Moor Dalry Beith North Dalry Junction [Station] Lochwinnoch [2nd] | Fairlie Shed Fairlie Pier Junction Fife Shipyard Fairlie Tunnel Hunterston Ore Terminal Tourist/other Largs Museum Skelmorlie Aisle Largs Slip Largs Pier Nardini^s Vikingar Halkshill House Largs Pencil Cumbrae Ferry Terminal Fairlie MOD |
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. |
/ /1881 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Fairlie to Largs authorised. |
/ /1885 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Line extended to Largs. |
/ /1899 | Glasgow and South Western Railway Bill for new line to Largs and purchase of Largs Pier. Line not proven but company buys the pier. |
/ /1986 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Line singled south from Largs to Hunterston Junction, beyond which both lines were for freight use but only the former northbound line could be used for passenger trains in both directions. |
/07/1995 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Runaway train crashes at Largs station, passing through the buffers, concourse and station wall resulting in the collapse of the station roof. |
/06/1997 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) Construction of supermarket (Safeway) on the site of Largs goods shed. |
/08/2000 | Largs Branch (Glasgow and South Western Railway) A £400,000 reconstruction of Largs station begins with the removal of the circulating area. Temporary provisions were in place after the 1995 destruction of the station by a runaway train. |
Gourock to Largs Coast Through Time | Largs 1895: Ayrshire Sheet 03.12 (Old Ordnance Survey Maps of Ayrshire) | Old Largs | Old West Kilbride |