South Ayrshire Council - Ayr History - Travel

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Improvements in travel were significant in the development of Ayr and its economy. The natural harbour of Ayr invited the formation of the Burgh, which later attracted a rail link for trade purposes and resulted in a flourishing tourist trade. Ayr also witnessed major developments in other forms of transport.
Railways Ayr entered the Railway Age in 1840 when the Glasgow-Ayr line opened under the auspices of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway Company. The original train station was in Newton at the North Harbour as it was convenient for business and harbour trade. People stopped off at the town inns such as one at 238 High Street. This is now the ‘Tam o’ Shanter Inn’ which took its name in the 1840s to attract tourists on the way to Alloway. The station transferred to Townhead in 1857 and the line was further extended to include Dalmellington (1856), Maybole (1856) and Girvan(1860). British Rail faced with competition from road traffic withdrew services to Mauchline, Cumnock and Muirkirk (1951), Dalmellington (1964), Heads of Ayr (1968), Kilmarnock (1968). On the busy Glasgow line the diesels replaced steam trains in 1969 and the line was electrified in 1986.
Impact of improved travel links Improved travel increased the demand for houses in Ayr. Attractive new terraces were erected in Fort Street, Charlotte Street, Wellington Square, Fullarton Street, Barns Street and Alloway Place for well-off families. Furthermore, the potential to transport fresh goods encouraged the wider export of local items like Ayrshire tatties to Glasgow! Commissioners & Turnpike Trustees The Burgh’s ‘public works’ included maintenance of the highways and bridges and the collection of tolls through these organisations. One structure was the new Bridge of Ayr famed in Robert Burns’ poem, ‘The Twa Brigs’ which immortalises such improvements witnessed in Ayr during the 18 th Century.
Stagecoaches Early buses were horse drawn wagons. Regular bus services left from the inns in Ayr (hence Coaching Inns). Trams Ayr Burgh Act 1899 authorised a municipal tramway system. It took 7 ½ months to lay four miles of tram rail from Prestwick to St Leonard’s Church. The first double decker open top trams opened officially on 26 th September 1901. Eventually the line was continued to Burns Monument at Alloway. The Council sold off its tramway system in 1931. Cars 37 vehicles were registered in 1903 rising to 5,438 in 1923. The number of licensed vehicles in Ayrshire is now into the hundreds of thousands and the most popular transport is the car.	Buses A notable feature of the 1920s was the development of motorbus services. There were local bus services to compete with trams from Ayr to Annbank (Percy Hull), Coylton (Duncan’s buses) and Prestwick to Burns Monument (Law’s). In 1931 the Scottish Transport Motor Services merged to form the Western SMT and A.A. Motor Services Ltd (associated with Dodds of Troon) began operating between Ayr and Ardrossan with premises at Boswell Park. In 1987 Western SMT added 40 new ‘Buzzer’ buses and Citylink Express coaches to Glasgow. This Bus service is now part of the Stagecoach group. There are also other firms still in existence.

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