Location type

Station

Names and dates

Stranraer Harbour (1862-1993)
Stranraer (1993-)

Station code: STR National Rail ScotRail
Where: Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Opened on the Portpatrick Railway.
Open on the Glasgow to Ayr and Stranraer.

Description

This station is located on the former ferry pier in Stranraer. It is a little remote from the town, being separated from it by the former car parks associated with the ferries to Ireland.

A bus service connects the terminus to the new ferry terminals at Cairnryan.

Generally the west side platform is used and the signal box is switched out.

Original terminus and pier

The original station on the pier was minimal; two tracks were laid on the pier - with a very short platform on west side at end of tideline, the line continued down the pier with a steamer office, goods shed near end of pier. There were cattle docks at base of pier. The pier had a slip at its end.

The pier is sometimes referred to as the east pier.

By 1895 there were further cattle docks at the base of the pier, two tracks up pier with little accommodation. The station building was where goods shed was, close to end of pier.

Reconstruction

In 1897 the current station was built, in its original form. The station has two platforms, separated by four tracks - the two centre roads being loco release lines. There was, formerly, a bay platform on the west side.

The station was rebuilt in the late 1970s/early 1980s with a not entirely attractive new trainshed. Within this can be found the woodwork frontage of the older internal platform buildings. The station has since seen further alterations to the trainshed cladding. In recent years the footbridge connecting the platforms has been removed.

The signal box (1897) still stands and is now clad in a similar style to the trainshed, covering the 1980s brick.

Stena Line' service to Belfast transferred to Old House Point, Cairnryan, in 2011.

P&O operate to Larne Harbour from Cairnryan, just to the south.

Although traffic declined after re-routing of the ferry services it had recovered by 2016, traffic climbing every year since 2014.

Future

With the loss of the ferry routes, discussion continues on whether the station will be closed and be replaced by a newer one closer to the town, perhaps at the former Stranraer Town.

Local

Ferries operate from Cairnryan to Ireland.

Stena Line - Cairnryan-Belfast

P&O Ferries - Cairnryan-Larne

Tags

Station Stockton Haulage goods Shed MPD

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67

Nearby stations Stranraer Town Transit (London Road [Stranraer]) Innermessan YMCA Castle Kennedy Colfin Cairn Point Portpatrick Dunragit Portpatrick Harbour Challoch Junction Golfers Platform New Luce Glenluce Glenwhilly Chirmorie [Private]	Stranraer Shed Stranraer Harbour Junction Stockton Haulage Depot [Stranraer] Construction Junction Cairnryan Junction Yard Cairnryan Junction Innermessan Sidings Piltanton Viaduct Leffnoll Shed Cairnryan Tourist/other Castle of St John [Stranraer] Lochinch Castle Castle Kennedy [Castle] Castle Kennedy Gardens Castle Kennedy House
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.