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| Ayrshire Coast Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Class 380 train at Troon | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Scotland | ||
| Stations | 26 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | ScotRail | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 380 andClass 156 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Number of tracks | Double andsingle line | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC | ||
| |||
TheAyrshire Coast Line is one of the lines within theStrathclyde suburbanrail network inScotland. It has 26 stations and connects theAyrshire coast toGlasgow. There are three branches, toLargs,Ardrossan Harbour andAyr, all running into the high level atGlasgow Central.
The route is operated byScotRail.
The Ayrshire Coast Line consists of lines that were formerly part of theGlasgow and Paisley Joint Railway, theGlasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway, theArdrossan Railway and itsLargs Branch extension.
The line to Ayr waselectrified andClass 318electric multiple units introduced byBritish Rail in September 1986. The line was promoted as theAyrLine in Scotrail publicity. Along with the introduction of new trains, major work was undertaken refurbishing stations, major trackworks and rebuilding many bridges. At the same time resignalling was carried out, replacing the existing semaphore signals.[1] The full electrified service, including trains to Largs and Ardrossan Harbour, commenced on 19 January 1987.[1] These were supplemented by occasional use ofClass 303 andClass 311 EMUs, then in use on theInverclyde Line.
These EMUs replaced theClass 101 andClass 107 DMUs that had served the line for over 30 years.Class 126 DMUs were also used on the line, but they succumbed to old age in the early 1980s.
As of May 2025, There are 4 trains per hour running every 15 minutes between Glasgow Central and Kilwinning, 2 of these continue to Ayr while 1 an hour serves Ardrossan Harbour and Largs each. Extra trains run at peak hours, with all trains calling at Paisley Gilmour Street, Johnstone and Kilwinning. There are occasionally extra services which run to/from Ardrossan Harbour to connect with CalMac sailings to/from Brodick on Arran, There is a 2 hourly service which runs between Kilmarnock and Ayr which calls at Troon and at Prestwick Town* and up to hourly at peak time's. On a Sunday, there are 3 trains an hour, 2 to Ayr and 1 to Largs and 4 trains per day to/from Ardrossan Harbour to connect with ferries, There are no Sunday services to/from Kilmarnock.
The line runs along the sameGlasgow and Paisley Joint Railway route as theInverclyde Line as far asPaisley Gilmour Street, using different platforms at Paisley Gilmour Street, where it turns south west towardsKilwinning on the route of the formerGlasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway. Here the line branches in two, with one branch running south along the coast toTroon and Ayr. This branch also servesPrestwick Airport station, which opened in 1994. The other branch runs north along the coast to Ardrossan or Largs, becoming a single track for passenger trains after Saltcoats. Beyond Ayr,'Sprinter' DMUs continue south towardsGirvan andStranraer.
The line connects with ferries at Ardrossan toBrodick on theIsle of Arran and at Largs toGreat Cumbrae.
