North Tyneside Loop

North Tyneside Loop

Legend
 Before Metro conversion 
Cullercoats
Tynemouth
Whitley Bay
North Shields
Monkseaton
West Monkseaton
Percy Main
Blyth and Tyne Railway
to Percy Main

Riverside loop
Howdon
Willington Quay
Wallsend
Point Pleasant
Walkergate
Carville
Backworth
Walker
Benton Junction
on East Coast Main Line
St Anthonys
Benton
St Peters
Heaton Junction
on East Coast Main Line
Byker
Heaton

Riverside loop
Longbenton

Gosforth Car Sheds
South Gosforth
West Jesmond

East Coast Main Line
Jesmond
Manors
Line to South Shields
High Level Bridge
over the River Tyne
Newcastle Central

The North Tyneside Loop refers to the railway lines in North Tyneside from Newcastle upon Tyne via Wallsend, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Backworth, Benton and South Gosforth back to Newcastle.

History

The loop emerged as two competing railways were built from Newcastle to Tynemouth, the Newcastle and North Shields Railway (via Wallsend and North Shields) and the Blyth and Tyne Railway (via Benton and Whitley Bay). The two railways initially had separate stations at both Newcastle and Tynemouth, but were later extended to start at Newcastle Central Station and to connect at a new through station in Tynemouth, thus allowing a through service.

Electrification

The line was electrified (as the Tyneside Electrics) by the North Eastern Railway in 1904 to fight competition from the newly built electric tramways, but de-electrified in 1967.

Tyne and Wear Metro

In the late 1970s the lines were converted to form the Tyne and Wear Metro, which opened in stages beginning in 1980. Both lines were diverted underground on the approach to Newcastle, so that the line via Wallsend no longer serves Central Station; both lines now cross at a new station at Monument.

References

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 3/15/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.