Ayr Station Hotel Fire 28/05/2023 and now on fire again 25/09/2023

[zwk500]

It should be reasonably easy to move them out by road, with replacements being delivered the same way. That's been done on various previous occasions when units have been isolated by infrastructure failures like bridge collapses.

Moving DMU coaches must be easier than steam or diesel locos, and heritage lines move those around the country by road on a regular basis. There's a well established sector of the haulage industry that specialises in such work.

Also quite possible to arrange for specific permission to pass slowly through the least affected platform line subject to the various authorities agreeing.

 

[380101]

Inspection of the upper areas of the hotel structure commenced today.

Also quite possible to arrange for specific permission to pass slowly through the least affected platform line subject to the various authorities agreeing.

The whole station site has been cordoned off by South Ayrshire Council, including Heras fencing across all 4 platforms and tracks. So extremely unlikely for SAC to authorise any rail movements. Network Rail staff are also prohibited from entering the cordoned off areas.

 

[MadMac]

Looks like some much-needed action is imminent according to THIS REPORT. Main points are that the South Wing is severely damaged and may well collapse of its own accord: some more specialised investigation (which may include some partial demolition) will commence next week.

The external walls of the southern section of the Station Hotel building may be at risk of falling down following the recent fire at the property, council bosses have said.

 

[och aye]

BBC News article with some drone footage of what remains of the hotel.

Roads around fire-hit Ayr hotel closed until January

Rail services have also been unable to use Ayr Station since the fire gutted the hotel two months ago.

www.bbc.co.uk

Road and rail closures around the derelict Station Hotel in Ayr are set to continue until January.
The station has been out of use since a fire in September gutted the building, leaving it unsafe.
South Ayrshire Council said part, or all, of the building may need to be demolished after the hotel was extensively damaged in the blaze.
It has now announced that there will be free parking in the city centre from Sunday until 7 January.

 

[MadMac]

Being reported elsewhere that a Kilmarnock-Ayr DMU “Shuttle” will begin operating on December 4th into Platform 4. Presumably the idea is to reduce or eliminate the current coach operation.

 

[Blindtraveler]

This would be good, restoration of a train service plus the opportunity to release the units trapped West back to Glasgow for a much-needed service. I wonder if they have sufficient units to strengthen the relevant Kilmarnock Glasgow or Carlisle Dumfries Kilmarnock Glasgow workings that we'll get the passenger dump from this shuttle

 

[MadMac]

This would be good, restoration of a train service plus the opportunity to release the units trapped West back to Glasgow for a much-needed service. I wonder if they have sufficient units to strengthen the relevant Kilmarnock Glasgow or Carlisle Dumfries Kilmarnock Glasgow workings that we'll get the passenger dump from this shuttle

As I understand it, they still can’t run through the station: I saw a pic last week of a temporary buffer stop going in, so I’m surmising no more than a 2 car. Both trapped units are apparently unserviceable as of now (one‘s been in the siding at Girvan for some time).

 

[Blindtraveler]

Oo ok

Sounds like we'll need to get one of those nice 37s through West as soon as they can run through to release the now really rather sickly by the sound of it one five six s. Either that or they'll need to get them out by road which I would imagine is no easy task in that part of the world


But well done to everybody who's making it potentially possible to run some trains through to Kilmarnock again, whilst it's not ideal it will certainly reduce the demand on the rail replacement which presumably will have to stay running for those wanting destinations such as Newton on air or pressed wick, but presumably all Glasgow traffic will be sent this way

 

[Falcon1200]

I wonder if they have sufficient units to strengthen the relevant Kilmarnock Glasgow or Carlisle Dumfries Kilmarnock Glasgow workings that we'll get the passenger dump from this shuttle

Perhaps passengers for/from Glasgow will be encouraged to change at Prestwick or Troon for the EMU service, given that, depending on the timings, this may well be quicker than a through train via Kilmarnock?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Good point. But either way it will certainly be good to get some kind of a train service running albeit on a somewhat inconvenient basis for many

 

[Strathclyder]

BBC News article with some drone footage of what remains of the hotel.

Roads around fire-hit Ayr hotel closed until January

Rail services have also been unable to use Ayr Station since the fire gutted the hotel two months ago.

www.bbc.co.uk

If it's not demolished first, it will collapse of it's own accord eventually, looking at that footage.

 

[380101]

If it's not demolished first, it will collapse of it's own accord eventually, looking at that footage.

They're currently "demolishing" it stone by stone under the guise of "safety works". Demolition was signed off by the council back in October, but for some crazy reason, they have not went public with this and continue to hide behind the "safety works" statement.

I suspect come January we will see some increased movement in the demolition of it and good progress will be made towards getting through trains running on platform 4.

 

[Strathclyder]

They're currently "demolishing" it stone by stone under the guise of "safety works". Demolition was signed off by the council back in October, but for some crazy reason, they have not went public with this and continue to hide behind the "safety works" statement.

I suspect come January we will see some increased movement in the demolition of it and good progress will be made towards getting through trains running on platform 4.

That's what I had thought. Had gone strangely quiet, even though it was blatantly obvious demolition was the only real path forward after the fire.

 

[Bill57p9]

ScotRail have announced a half hourly shuttle from 4 December between Ayr platform 4 and Prestwick Town calling at Newton-On-Ayr.
Looking at RTT it will be 156s which then run ECS up to Barassie to turn round. Only through services between Ayr and Kilmarnock look to be ECS

The buses will therefore still be required from Ayr to Kilmarnock and Girvan

 

[Blindtraveler]

Do we know if this means any possibility of releasing the trap units out west comma presumably now with a loco on the front as they've been unserviceable for a while

 

[MadMac]

Do we know if this means any possibility of releasing the trap units out west comma presumably now with a loco on the front as they've been unserviceable for a while

There’s a temporary buffer stop in Platform 4. Other posts indicate that there’s a “controlled dismantling” of at least part of the hotel ongoing, so I wouldn’t expect any services through the station until that’s complete.

 

[380101]

Demolition now under way.

***update***
Hearing now that what is visible in the photo is due to an uncontrolled collapse. The position of debris on the station bridge pavement and scaffolding mixed in with the debris within the building footprint all suggests it did indeed collapse.

 

[Ayrshire Roy]

I was in Ayr today with some time to kill so I took a walk over to the station.
380101 if I'd seen your update earlier I would of taken some pics of the rubble but in the ones I have you can see scaffolding in the pile.
Here's my photos from today.

One thing at Ayr Station I'd somehow never noticed before is that there is an old signal post and ladder in the bushes next to the entrance at the road. It's at the end of the old sidings.

 

[3RDGEN]

The demolition work has raised some concerns;

"https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrsh...ed-demolition-station-31593817?int_source=nba"

"Campaigners 'shocked and surprised' by demolition of Station Hotel as they demand answers, Campaign Group SAVE Britain's Heritage have been left stunned by the "current level" of demolition at the Station Hotel."

The Daily Record also have a video of part of the demolition from a local shop. Looking at those photo's the site needs clearing and a fresh start making.

 

[380101]

The demolition work has raised some concerns;

"https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/ayrsh...ed-demolition-station-31593817?int_source=nba"

"Campaigners 'shocked and surprised' by demolition of Station Hotel as they demand answers, Campaign Group SAVE Britain's Heritage have been left stunned by the "current level" of demolition at the Station Hotel."

The Daily Record also have a video of part of the demolition from a local shop. Looking at those photo's the site needs clearing and a fresh start making.

SAVE Britain's Heritage and the local Ayr Station Hotel Action Group have been trying for several years now to save the Hotel building, but have never explained how or who would pay for it, and what the end use of the building would be.

Essentially, it's been a case of the usual outcry from "concerned" groups that the council/Network Rail/ScotRail/Scottish government should save it just because it's a listed building but "we won't be paying for it!".

As to their "surprise" of the demolition beginning, that's a joke, as everyone that saw the place on fire in September knew it would be getting demolished as South Ayrshire Council had already secured funding to do it.

 

[MadMac]

The shuttle service to/from Prestwick has been suspended due to concerns about the stability of the remaining structure. STV

 

[D6130]

The shuttle service to/from Prestwick has been suspended due to concerns about the stability of the remaining structure. STV

High winds are forecast for the next 24 hours.

 

[Rick1984]

My mum spotted this class 156 on a low-loader while leaving Morrison's in Kilmarnock.
I'm surmising this is one of the "trapped" carriages from the other side of Ayr,?

 

[MadMac]

My mum spotted this class 156 on a low-loader while leaving Morrison's in Kilmarnock.
I'm surmising this is one of the "trapped" carriages from the other side of Ayr,?

Possible, but more likely to be something coming from or going to Brodies. While we here, anyone got any updates re the hotel?

 

[ScotRail158725]

My mum spotted this class 156 on a low-loader while leaving Morrison's in Kilmarnock.
I'm surmising this is one of the "trapped" carriages from the other side of Ayr,?

thats 156477, not one of the trapped units

 

[Rick1984]

Ah there goes my theory. I'm quite surprised to see Sc.otRail transfer a unit by road.
Apparently took 3 attempts to get round the corner!

 

[MadMac]

To answer my own question re the hotel, the word from those in the know is that replacement buses will continue until at least the end of January, and that a full reopening is unlikely before late September. Also, the “demolition“ effort currently consists of two men on a mobile platform literally dismantling it one brick at a time: presumably any sort of larger effort is considered too risky/uncontrollable. It’s also been stated that the question of the reopened station becoming part of a larger “transport hub“ is now back on the table.

 

[Blindtraveler]

An integrated transport hub on the site would make an awful lot of sense really, definitely going to be a slow old process and no doubt Scotland's railway will be priming their lawyers for a big court battle and compensation bill

 

[AlterEgo]

I wonder if this incident will make us do some soul searching about heritage buildings.

We don’t live in a museum, and the Ayr station hotel wasn’t even that nice anyway. The fact the building was listed hampered any redevelopment and only by the means of arson and demolition can anything new and useful be built.

A new hub sounds vastly preferable to a decrepit hulk of a rotting hotel. It’s 2024; let’s build some new things.

 

[D6130]

and no doubt Scotland's railway will be priming their lawyers for a big court battle and compensation bill

How would that work when the owner of the premises is allegedly in Malaysia and uncontactable?