Hexham railway station

For the railway station in New South Wales, Australia, see Hexham railway station, New South Wales.
Hexham National Rail
Location
Place Hexham
Local authority Northumberland
Coordinates 54°58′25″N 2°05′42″W / 54.9736°N 2.0949°W / 54.9736; -2.0949Coordinates: 54°58′25″N 2°05′42″W / 54.9736°N 2.0949°W / 54.9736; -2.0949
Grid reference NY940643
Operations
Station code HEX
Managed by Northern
Number of platforms 2
DfT category D
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2010/11 Increase 0.381 million
2011/12 Decrease 0.380 million
2012/13 Increase 0.381 million
2013/14 Decrease 0.380 million
2014/15 Increase 0.381 million
History
Original company Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-grouping North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
9 March 1835 Station opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Hexham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Hexham railway station serves the town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line which runs from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, and is managed by Northern who provide most passenger train services.

History

A 1911 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing (upper left) railways in the vicinity of Hexham

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.[1] The first section of that line to open for passenger trains was between Blaydon and Hexham, which was formally opened on 3 March 1835,[2] with normal services beginning either the next day,[2] or on 9 March 1835.[3] The line was extended from Hexham to Haydon Bridge on 28 June 1836.[4] After the N&CR had been absorbed by the North Eastern Railway, Hexham became a junction station with the opening of the first section of the Border Counties Railway, between Hexham and Chollerford on 5 April 1858.[5] The first section of a second branch, the Hexham and Allendale Railway (H&AR) was opened (for goods) in August 1867 - the H&AR, initially promoted to serve lead mines, opened for passengers on 1 March 1869.[6]

On the main line, the next station to the west of Hexham was Fourstones,[7] which closed in 1967.[8]

The station has two waiting rooms. Platform two's waiting room has a fireplace made of black marble, which includes many fossilised orthoceras cephalopods, dated to approximately 400 million years old.

The floral displays have won several awards from the Britain in Bloom scheme.[9]

Dating from around 1835, Hexham station is one of the oldest purpose-built railway stations in the world.[10]

The station has diminished in size and importance since the closure of the Allendale branch (to passengers on 22 September 1930, completely in 1950) and the Border Counties Railway (to passengers October 1956, all traffic 1958),[11] both of which met the Tyne Valley line west of Hexham station.

In 2013 a major Network Rail managed redevelopment scheme commenced. The goods yard on the south east side is becoming a retail park. The Victorian railway stables are being relocated to Beamish Museum. Both of the Victorian good shed buildings are to be re-used. On the north side a new supplementary entrance and car park will be created affording disabled access to that platform.[12]

Services

The station has an hourly Northern service on weekdays westwards to Carlisle - one afternoon train continues through to Whitehaven (though there is no corresponding service in the opposite direction). There are two trains per hour to Newcastle - one of which runs through from Carlisle and serves only Prudhoe and the MetroCentre, whilst the other starts at Hexham and calls at most intermediate stations.[13] Many of the latter continue on via the Durham Coast Line to Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

On Sundays an hourly service operates between Carlisle and Newcastle only.

Abellio ScotRail provide a limited service of three trains each way to both Newcastle and to Glasgow Central via the Glasgow South Western Line (except Sundays).

A landslip between Corbridge & Riding Mill (caused by persistent heavy rain and a broken drainage pipe) in early January 2016 led to the temporary suspension of services from here towards Newcastle whilst repairs to the track & adjacent cutting walls were carried out. Trains to/from Carlisle terminated & started back here, whilst a replacement bus service ran as far as Prudhoe until the work was completed.[14] The line reopened to traffic on 8 February 2016, following the removal of over 35,000 tones of earth from the site.[15]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Corbridge   Abellio ScotRail
Glasgow South Western Line
   Haltwhistle
Corbridge   Northern
Tyne Valley Line		   Haydon Bridge
Historical railways
Corbridge
Line and station open		   North Eastern Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway		   Fourstones
Line open, station closed
Disused railways
Terminus   London and North Eastern Railway
Hexham and Allendale Railway		   Elrington Halt
Wall   London and North Eastern Railway
Border Counties Railway		   Terminus

References

  1. ↑ James, Leslie (November 1983). A Chronology of the Construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 22. ISBN 0-7110-1277-6. BE/1183.
  2. 1 2 Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 35. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
  3. ↑ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 119. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. ↑ Allen 1974, p. 36
  5. ↑ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. p. 118. CN 8983.
  6. ↑ Allen 1974, pp. 142–3
  7. ↑ Conolly, W. Philip (January 1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 27, section B3. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3. EX/0176.
  8. ↑ Butt 1995, p. 99
  9. ↑ "Northumbria in Bloom results announced" Willoughby, James Northumberland Gazette article 15 September 2015; Retrieved 27 September 2016
  10. ↑ Ransom, P.J.G. (1990). The Victorian Railway and How it Evolved. London: Heinemann. p. 229.
  11. ↑ Body, G Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, 1988, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1, p.134
  12. ↑ http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/Work-starts-on-8m-Hexham-Goods-Yard-retail-development-1e41.aspx Network Rail Press Release retrieved 2 October 2013.
  13. ↑ GB National Rail Timetable May - December 2013, Table 48
  14. ↑ Corbridge landslip photos show scale of task to re-open Newcastle to Carlisle train line Sharma, Sonia; Newcastle Chronicle article 15 January 2016; Retrieved 15-01-2016
  15. ↑ "West line between Carlisle and Newcastle to reopen on Monday after landslip repairs"Network Rail Media Centre; Retrieved 4 February 2016
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