Transport campaigners have warned that the rail line which links Stranraer to Glasgow could face closure in under three years due to rising costs and the loss of direct ferry connections to Ireland next year. The Scottish Association for Public Transport says there is a real prospect that the line could face closure south of Ayr from 2014, when the franchise is due for re-tender.

A spokesman said: “Our worry is the Stranraer section may not be included in the 2014 franchise renewal tender, unless costs can be cut substantially and passenger numbers boosted.” The SAPT spokesman added that the switching of all ferry traffic by Stena Line from Stranraer Harbour to Cairnryan next year could signal the end of the Stranraer rail link. At present, rail passengers step off trains just metres away from the ferries at Stranraer – the new Cairnryan terminal will be seven miles from the nearest rail stop.

A new report has claimed that existing train and pier facilities in Stranraer could be utilised to unlock a multi-million pound tourism dividend. The study outlines the potential for the town to become a gateway for tens of thousands of visitors by attracting rail tours and small cruise liners.

The document has been produced by the Wigtownshire Chambers of Commerce. Chairman Peter Jeal said the plans could only succeed if proposals to scrap the town's station were dropped. Major changes are on the horizon in Stranraer with Stena Line set to move its ferry port out of the town to a site nearer the mouth of Loch Ryan.

SHORTLY before 8pm tomorrow the familiar sight of the Belfast-bound ferry will slip out of harbour, leaving behind Stranraer and 150 years of history. From Monday, the Scottish coastal town will no longer be a ferry port and a direct link across the sea to Northern Ireland will be lost.

Steam packets were making regular trips to Glasgow, Girvan and Belfast from the 1830s and an official ferry link to Belfast was established in 1862. But now Stena Line is moving almost seven miles up the coast to Cairnryan, with two new boats making the journey ten times a day.

The new vessels and upgrades on either side of the North Channel represent a £200 million investment for the company, cutting journey times and improving capacity and comfort on the route. For Stranraer it is the end of an era, with the daily arrivals and departures gone, but a new vision for the town is on the horizon with substantial redevelopment planned.