In 1888, a second railway, the ‘Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway’, also known as the ‘Caledonian Line’ came to Ardrossan, linked to Glasgow via Barrmill, Barrhead, and Lugton. It was operated by the Caledonian Railway and built specifically to undermine the high prices charged by the Glasgow & South-Western Railway for transporting iron and coal from Glasgow to Ardrossan Harbour. 1,306 men were employed in the building of the railway line. From Barrmill to Ardrossan, the Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway Company owned the railway line.
The railway was officially opened on Monday 3rd September 1888, when a train consisting of seventeen first class carriages left Glasgow Central Station at 10.52am bound for the newly built ‘Ardrossan’ station on Montgomerie Street, Ardrossan, which was situated opposite the entrance to Barr Street. Arriving in Ardrossan at 12.25pm, the passengers were taken to the Artillery Drill Hall, Castlehill, to enjoy a celebratory lunch. (On 2nd June 1924 the station was renamed Ardrossan North.)
In the following months, the railway line was extended to Ardrossan Harbour. Montgomerie Pier Station opened on 30th May 1890. As well as coal, the railway carried passengers to catch steamers to Arran, Ireland and the Isle of Man, some of which were owned by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company. The Glasgow & South-Western Railway went to court to fight for the legal right to operate their own steamers which they won on 5th August 1891 after which the “Glen Sannox”, then the fastest steamer on the Clyde, began operating from Winton Pier, Ardrossan.
The railway was very successful until the opening of Rothesay Dock, Clydebank, in 1907, when most of the coal freight was diverted away from the Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway, resulting in a rapid decline. Between 1932 and 1934 the Caledonian Railway was closed to passenger services but continued to be used by the boat train. In 1934, the Caledonian Company introduced ‘Evening Breathers’ services which cost half of the single fare for a return journey. It proved to be so popular that the stations had to be re-opened. During World War Two the Caledonian Railway was used to carry freight and troop trains to Ardrossan Harbour, which for the duration of the war was renamed HMS Fortitude.
Montgomerie Pier railway station was the scene of two railway accidents. The first occurred on Monday 10th June 1895 when the 9.07am Belfast Express failed to break on its final approach into the station and violently collided with the buffers. The train mounted the platform, resulting in 46 people being injured. The second accident took place on Thursday 17th July 1958 when the 8.05am boat train failed to slow down quickly enough and hit the buffers with enough force to wreck them, resulting in sixty-five passengers being injured, five of whom had to be taken to hospital. The damage to the station was not as severe this time and by 8pm the station was back in service.
The last boat train to Montgomerie Pier Station ran in 1965. The Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway along with Montgomerie Pier Station closed on 6th May 1968 and Montgomerie Pier railway station was demolished, shortly after its closure.