B778 abutments, north east of Kilwinning
The abutments once formed part of a railway bridge, constructed in the early 1840s, on the Dalry to Kilmarnock branch, connecting with the former Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway.
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Location: North east Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland
Status: Complete
History
Constructed in stages in the early 1840s, the line closed to passengers in April 1966, even though a sleeper service continued until its full closure in 1973.
About the structure
The bridge’s deck was removed before we took over management of the estate, we don’t hold the records for when this was done, or why.
The stone blocks used to build the abutments are in a poor condition and previous repairs only worked in the short terms and are showing signs of failure.
(A small stream runs through a culvert under the north abutment.)
What is the project?
Given the structure has no future use identified, and is a safety concern, we’re proposing to remove the abutments.
What stage is it at?
Following full Stakeholder Advisory Forum (SAF) discussion, the Secretary of State for Transport approved our recommended approach to apply for planning permission to remove these abutments. We applied to North Ayrshire Council and permission was granted. The abutments were removed in October 2024.
