Hexham railway station

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*
2012/13 Increase 0.381 million
2013/14 Decrease 0.380 million
2014/15 Increase 0.381 million
2015/16 Decrease 0.332 million
2016/17 Increase 0.344 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 operate all passenger train services.

History

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

Dating from around 1835, Hexham station is one of the oldest purpose-built railway stations in the world.[1] The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.[2] The first section of that line to open for passenger trains was between Blaydon and Hexham, which was formally opened on 3 March 1835,[3] with normal services beginning either the next day,[3] or on 9 March 1835.[4]

The line was extended from Hexham to Haydon Bridge on 28 June 1836.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

On the main line, the next station to the west of Hexham was Fourstones,[8] which closed in 1967.[9]

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),[10] both of which met the Tyne Valley line west of Hexham station. The bay platform used by both branch lines was located on the southern side and faced west; it was taken out of use in the early 1970s and the track lifted (the land now forms part of the station car park). The track layout has also been rationalised, with just a running loop and three sidings retained at the east end of the station along with the distinctive elevated signal box - this was built in 1896, is grade-II listed and one of only two such structures left on the line (the other being at Wylam).[11]

In 2013 and 2014 a major Network Rail managed redevelopment scheme was undertaken. The goods yard on the south east side became a retail park. The Victorian railway stables were relocated to Beamish Museum. Both of the Victorian good shed buildings are to be re-used. On the north side a new entrance and car park were created allowing step-free access to that platform.[12]

The floral displays have won several awards from the Britain in Bloom scheme.[13]. Since the mid 2000s the station has accommodated office space for the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership who opened a kiosk in 2011.[14]. [15]

Facilities

The station is staffed on a part-time basis, with the ticket office on platform 2 open on weekdays between 07:15 - 17:30 and 08:15 - 14:15 on Saturdays (closed evenings and Sundays). A self-service ticket machine is available for use outside these times and for collecting pre-paid tickets. There are waiting rooms provided on both platforms along with toilets, vending machines, a retail outlet, taxi office and refreshment facilities (a fast food restaurant) on platform 2. Step-free access is available to both platforms.[16]

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.

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.[17] Many of the latter continue on via the Durham Coast Line to Sunderland and Middlesbrough. A limited service of three trains each way between Newcastle and Glasgow Central via the Glasgow South Western Line is operated jointly with ScotRail.

On Sundays an hourly service operates between Carlisle and Newcastle (with many services continuing to Middlesbrough).

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 and adjacent cutting walls were carried out. Trains to/from Carlisle terminated & started back at Hexham, whilst a replacement bus service ran as far as Prudhoe until the work was completed.[18] The line reopened to traffic on 8 February 2016, following the removal of over 35,000 tones of earth from the site.[19]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
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. ↑ Ransom, P.J.G. (1990). The Victorian Railway and How it Evolved. London: Heinemann. p. 229.
  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. 1 2 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. 119. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  5. ↑ Allen 1974, p. 36
  6. ↑ Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Guild Publishing. p. 118. CN 8983.
  7. ↑ Allen 1974, pp. 142–3
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Butt 1995, p. 99
  10. ↑ Body, G Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2, 1988, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Wellingborough, ISBN 1-85260-072-1, p.134
  11. ↑ Hexham Signal Box Quinn, Mike Geograph.org.uk; Retrieved 30 January 2017
  12. ↑ "Work starts on £8m Hexham Goods Yard retail development" (Press release). Network Rail. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  13. ↑ Willoughby, James (15 September 2015). "Northumbria in Bloom results announced". Northumberland Gazette. Alnwick: Johnston Press. Retrieved 27 September 2016. Bus/Metro/Railway Stations: [...] Hexham Railway Station, gold
  14. ↑ https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2933283
  15. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tyne-valley-community-rail-line |title=Tyne Valley Community Rail Line at Department for Transport
  16. ↑ Hexham station facilities National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 30-01-2017
  17. ↑ Table 48 National Rail timetable, May 2018
  18. ↑ Sharma, Sonia (15 January 2016). "Corbridge landslip photos show scale of task to re-open Newcastle to Carlisle train line". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle upon Tyne: Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Trains to resume on Monday after West Line landslip repairs" (Press release). Network Rail. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
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