Hexham railway station

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

Hexham
LocationHexham, Northumberland
England
Coordinates54°58′25″N 2°05′42″W
Grid referenceNY940643
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byNorthern Trains
Platforms2
Tracks2
Other information
Station codeHEX
ClassificationDfT category D
History
Original companyNewcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-grouping
Key dates
9 March 1835 (1835-03-09)Opened
Passengers
2015/16 0.332 million
2016/17 0.344 million
2017/18 0.346 million
2018/19 0.343 million
 Interchange  4,228
2019/20 0.372 million
 Interchange  5,350
Listed Building – Grade II
FeatureStation buildings, platforms, canopies and footbridge
Designated22 February 1988
Reference no.1370815[1]
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.[2] The station opened in March 1835, following the commencement of passenger trains between Blaydon and Hexham.[3][4] The line was extended from Hexham to Haydon Bridge in June 1836.[5]

After the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway had been absorbed by the North Eastern Railway, the station became a junction, with the opening of the first section of the Border Counties Railway, between Hexham and Chollerford in April 1858.[6] The first section of a second branch, the Hexham and Allendale Railway, was opened for goods in August 1867. Initially promoted to serve lead mines, the line opened for passengers in March 1869.[7]

Since the closure of the Hexham and Allendale Railway to passengers in 1930 (completely in 1950), as well as the Border Counties Railway in 1956 (completely in 1958),[8] the station has diminished in size and importance. Both lines met with the Tyne Valley Line to the west of the station.

The neighbouring station at Fourstones, located to the west of Hexham,[9] closed in January 1967.[10] Most other stations on the line that remained open, escaping the Beeching Axe, were reduced to unstaffed halt status in the same year.

The bay platform used by both the Hexham and Allendale Railway and the Border Counties Railway was located on the southern side of the station, and faced west. It was taken out of use in the early 1970s and the track lifted, with the land now forming a part of the station car park. The track layout has also since been rationalised, with just a running loop and three sidings retained at the east of the station, along with the distinctive elevated signal box.

Dating from around 1835, Hexham is one of the oldest purpose-built railway stations in the world,[11] and is Grade II listed.[12] The over-line, elevated signal box, located to the east of the station, is also Grade II listed. Constructed in 1896, and once a popular design for the line, it is now almost unique, with the only other surviving signal box of this design located at Wylam.[13]

Since the mid 2000s, the station has accommodated office space for the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership, who opened a kiosk at the station in 2011.

The floral displays at the station have won several awards from the Britain in Bloom scheme.[14]

Redevelopment

In 2013 and 2014, a major Network Rail-managed redevelopment scheme was undertaken – at a cost of £8 million. This saw the regeneration of the former goods yard on the south east side of the station, with the construction of Broadgate Retail Park.[15]

As well as this, the project also saw the Victorian railway stables relocated to Beamish Museum in County Durham,[16] with the goods shed buildings retained and repurposed. On the north side of the station, a new station entrance and car park were created, creating step-free access to the Newcastle-bound platform, which had previously been accessible only by the pre-grouping metal footbridge.[15]

Facilities

The station is staffed on a part-time basis. As of October 2020, the ticket office is open between 07:20–17:30 on weekdays, and 08:00–14:00 on a Saturday.

The station has two platforms, both of which have two self-service ticket machines (which accepts card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting room, next train audio and visual displays and an emergency help point. Step-free access is available to both platforms, with platforms also linked by a barrow crossing (with assistance only) and footbridge.

The station also contains retail and dining outlets, toilets and a taxi office. There is a small pay and display car park and cycle storage at the station.[17]

Hexham 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.[18]

There is a bus stop and a taxi rank outside the station, with connections also available at the nearby Hexham Bus Station, which is located a short distance from the station at Loosing Hill.

Services

Following the December 2020 timetable change, the station is served by three trains per hour to Newcastle and two trains per hour to Carlisle. An hourly service operates between Newcastle and Carlisle during the evening and on Sunday. All services are operated by Northern Trains.[19]

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

See also
  • A 1911 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram, showing (upper left) railways in the vicinity of Hexham.
  • The station buildings are Grade II listed, much of which dates back to the 1830s.
  • The over-line, elevated signal box is one of only two of this design remaining.

References
  1. Historic England. "Hexham Railway Station  (Grade II) (1370815)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. 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.
  3. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 35. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
  4. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  5. Allen 1974, p. 36
  6. Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Patrick Stephens. p. 118. ISBN 1-85260-049-7. CN 8983.
  7. Allen 1974, pp. 142–3
  8. Body, Geoffrey (1988). Railways of the Eastern Region. Volume 2: Northern operating area. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens. p. 134. ISBN 1-85260-072-1.
  9. Conolly, W. Philip (1998) [1967]. "B3". British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 27. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3. EX/0176.
  10. Butt 1995, p. 99
  11. Ransom, P.J.G. (1990). The Victorian Railway and How it Evolved. London: Heinemann. p. 229. ISBN 0-434-98083-8. Retrieved 17 February 2020 – via Google Books. It must be one of the oldest station buildings in the world still in use for its original purpose.
  12. Historic England. "Hexham Railway station  (Grade II) (1370815)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  13. Historic England. "Overtrack Signal Box to the East of Hexham Railway station  (Grade II) (1042523)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  14. Willoughby, James (15 September 2015). "Northumbria in Bloom results announced". Northumberland Gazette. Alnwick: Johnston Press. ISSN 1354-9189. Retrieved 27 September 2016. Bus/Metro/Railway Stations: [...] Hexham Railway Station, gold
  15. "Work starts on £8m Hexham Goods Yard retail development". Network Rail Media Centre (Press release). Network Rail. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  16. Jarman, Paul (19 October 2013). "Hexham Railway Station Stables – on their way to Beamish..." Beamish Transport Online. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  17. "Hexham Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  18. "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  19. "Train times: Sunderland and Newcastle to Hexham and Carlisle" (PDF). Northern Trains. 13 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Corbridge   Northern Trains
Tyne Valley Line		   Haydon Bridge
  Historical railways  
Corbridge   North Eastern Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway		   Fourstones
Terminus   North Eastern Railway
Hexham and Allendale Railway		   Elrington Halt
Terminus   North British Railway
Border Counties Railway		   Wall
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