page_title: Stranraer railway station
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Stranraer railway station / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Stranraer station Even by 1978, the direct Carlisle to Stranraer line had lost its passenger service, so it was necessary to travel via Glasgow: often a change at Ayr was also necessary. Stranraer station is situated on the pier, very conveniently for those wishing to take ship for Ireland, but a longish walk for visitors to Stranraer itself.
context_page_description: Stranraer railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The station is 94.5 miles southwest of Glasgow and is the terminus of the Glasgow South Western Line. It has two platforms and is staffed on a part-time basis.
context_section_description: The station was opened on 1 October 1862 by the Portpatrick Railway; however, the current station buildings date from 1877 under the Portpatrick Railways Act 1877. Prior to that date, the station was rebuilt in 1877. The original facility was a concrete platform. Passengers and mail were meant to use the station at Portpatrick. The Portpatrick ferry service was never successful as, despite its apparently attractive location and significant initial investment, the harbour there was unsuitable as it was too small and insufficiently sheltered.
  A ferry service had commenced by 1861 but passengers made their way from Stranraer Town station to the steamers, not Stranraer Harbour station. The first daily ferry service started on 1 October 1862 to Larne and was provided by PS Briton. However, it only lasted until 31 December 1863. Originally named Stranraer Harbour, the station name was simplified to Stranraer by 1996.
  The Stena Line ferry service to Larne was moved to Belfast on 12 November 1995. P&O Ferries still sails there from nearby Cairnryan. Stena stopped serving Stranraer on 21 November 2011, having invested £200 million on a new route to Loch Ryan Port, near Cairnryan. ScotRail has cut services to Stranraer since the ferry services started departing from further up Loch Ryan and ferry passengers who travel by rail now face a long journey to Ayr by bus (called "RailSail", though it uses neither rails nor sails).
  As of the date of their Network Statement 2018, Network Rail do not own the station.
caption: Passengers have just arrived on the train and transfer to the ferry in 1974
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