stone ▁Canal ▁and ▁the ▁Ar d ross an ▁Railway . ▁While ▁these ▁had ▁been ▁aim ed ▁to ▁developing ▁a ▁route ▁between ▁Ar d ross an ▁and ▁Glasgow , ▁these ▁routes ▁were ▁only ▁part - built ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁available ▁fin ance ▁for ▁the ▁work . ▁During ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 0 0 s , ▁the ▁Glasgow ▁and ▁South ▁Western ▁Railway ▁( G & S WR ) ▁acquired ▁both ▁the ▁canal ▁and ▁the ▁railway . ▁While ▁the ▁canal ▁was ▁operated ▁as ▁such ▁for ▁a ▁time , ▁during ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁G & S WR ▁set ▁about ▁the ▁conversion ▁of ▁the ▁canal ▁to ▁a ▁railway ▁line ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁the ▁Glasgow ▁and ▁P ais ley ▁joint ▁line . ▁During ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁trains ▁comm enced ▁used ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁line . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁services ▁on ▁the ▁line ▁were ▁dram atically ▁cur ta iled ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Be ech ing ▁cut s ; ▁during ▁these ▁years , ▁various ▁stations ▁were ▁closed ▁to ▁both ▁passenger ▁and ▁fre ight ▁services ▁and ▁often ▁demol ished . ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁line ▁between ▁E ld ers lie ▁and ▁Kil mac ol m ▁closed ▁completely ▁to ▁scheduled ▁passenger ▁services ; ▁but ▁the ▁section ▁between ▁Haw k head ▁and ▁Sh ield s ▁J unction ▁remained ▁open ▁to ▁serve ▁an ▁oil ▁dep ot . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s