Lockdown did not prevent progress on station projects in Scotland. The country has often punched above its weight in Railway Heritage Trust terms, owing to the existence of the Stations Community Regeneration Fund which enables partnership projects, and 2021 has seen completion of an exceptional quartet.
KILMARNOCK
Kilmarnock possessed more surplus accommodation than any other Scottish station until in 2015 the Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust led by Allan Brown set about restoring these spaces to beneficial uses. Six years later, what has been described as the finest example of community involvement at any station in Britain was marked in June by the unveiling of an RHT plaque – and what a variety of activities it now hosts.
At platform level a second-hand bookshop and a meeting room offering a neutral space for a variety of community support activities have been joined by an active travel hub, a gaming room and a shop selling railway and other models and even by the archives of the Glasgow and South Western Railway Association. Downstairs can be found Ayrshire Addaction, providing support to drug-users trying to kick the habit, there is a videoconferencing facility, and ovens provide training for bakers.
