On 4 July 1905 the line opened, connecting with the Darvel Branch, which became a through line to Strathaven which was a jointly run line between the Glasgow and South Western Railway and the Caledonian Railway.[1] However, despite being a through line, no trains ever ran between Kilmarnock and Strathaven;[2] instead, the two companies took it in turns to run the line between Darvel and Strathaven every six months.[2]
The line was never successful and closed in 1939.[1] Evidence of the line still exists today in the form of many embankment, bridges and cuttings along the route.
Lewin, Henry Grote (1925). Early British Railways. A short history of their origin & development 1801-1844. London: The Locomotive Publishing Co Ltd. OCLC11064369.
Stansfield, G. (1999). Ayrshire & Renfrewshire's Lost Railways. Ochiltree: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN1-8403-3077-5.