Haltwhistle railway station

Haltwhistle is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle, Hexham and Carlisle. The station serves the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Haltwhistle
LocationHaltwhistle, Northumberland
England
Coordinates54°58′05″N 2°27′49″W
Grid referenceNY704638
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Tracks2
Other information
Station codeHWH
ClassificationDfT category F1
History
Original companyNewcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
18 June 1838 (1838-06-18)Opened
Passengers
2015/16 69,618
2016/17 71,738
2017/18 69,966
2018/19 70,458
2019/20 81,244
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.[1] The station was opened in June 1838, following the opening of the line between Greenhead and Haydon Bridge.[2][3][4] The station is thought to be the work of the line's resident engineer, John Blackmore.

In 1852, the station became a junction, with the opening of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway's branch line to Alston. Following the demise of the line and closure of the coal depot in the late 1970s, the track layout was simplified. The former bay platform remains, but without track.[5]

Haltwhistle was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1967, along with most of the other stations on the line that escaped the Beeching Axe. The station has retained its water tower, water crane, main buildings, signal box and original wooden shelters – several of which are Grade II listed.

The station's signal box, constructed in 1901 by the North Eastern Railway, was taken out of use in 1993, following re-signalling to colour lights.[6] It was replaced by a smaller prefabricated signal box, which is located around 145 yards (133 m) to the west of the former.

As of October 2020, work is underway to refurbish the station's former waiting room buildings – at a cost of £500,000. The project will see improved waiting areas for passengers, as well as new office and studio space.[7][8][9]

Facilities

The station has two platforms, both of which have a ticket machine (which accepts card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting shelter, next train audio and visual displays and an emergency help point. There is step-free access to both platforms by road underbridge, with both platforms also being linked by a footbridge. There is a small car park at the station.[10]

Haltwhistle is part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a valid ticket or promise to pay notice is required prior to boarding the train.[11]

Services

Following the December 2020 timetable change, the station is served by two trains per hour to Carlisle and Newcastle. An hourly service operates during the evening and on Sunday. All services are operated by Northern Trains.[12]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

Alston Line
For more information about the former branch line, see Alston Line.

The station was formerly the terminus of the Alston Line, a 13-mile (21 km) branch of the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Originally built to access the mines around Alston, the line never fulfilled its economic potential. It was originally marked for closure in the 1960s, under the Beeching plan, however the lack of an all-weather road kept it open. Following improvements to the road network in the 1970s, the station, along with the line, was closed in May 1976 by the British Railways Board.[13]

The track was lifted the following year, after a preservation attempt by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society proved to be unsuccessful. The society did eventually succeed in buying part of the line, with the South Tynedale Railway narrow-gauge heritage railway opening in 1983. A 5-mile (8 km) section of the line has since reopened in stages between Slaggyford and Alston.

The path of the branch line follows the Pennine Way for some of its route, and was mentioned by Alfred Wainwright in his Pennine Way Companion.

See also

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. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 36. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
  3. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 27. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. Conolly, W. Philip (January 1976). British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 27, section B2. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3. EX/0176.
  5. Young, Alan (21 May 2017). "Disused Stations: Haltwhistle Station". Disused Stations. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  6. Curtis, Andrew (27 February 2015). "Signal Box, Haltwhistle Railway Station". Geograph. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. Edgar, Bill (3 October 2020). "£500,000 investment to rejuvenate railway station". Hexham Courant. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  8. "Investing in the Future at Haltwhistle Railway Station". Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  9. Coleman, Tom (3 October 2020). "Small town railway station renovation project is finally 'becoming reality'". News and Star. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  10. "Haltwhistle Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  11. "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  12. "Train times: Sunderland and Newcastle to Hexham and Carlisle" (PDF). Northern Trains. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  13. Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 10. ISBN 978-0901461575.
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Bardon Mill   Northern Trains
Tyne Valley Line		   Brampton (Cumbria)
  Historical railways  
Bardon Mill   North Eastern Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway		   Greenhead
Disused railways
Terminus   North Eastern Railway
Alston Line		   Featherstone Park
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