Ponteland Railway
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2016) |
| Ponteland and Darras Hall Branch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational between South Gosforth and Newcastle Airport |
| Locale | |
| Termini | |
| Service | |
| Type |
|
| Operator(s) | Tyne and Wear Metro |
| History | |
| Commenced | 1 March 1905 |
| Closed to passengers | 17 June 1929 |
| Reopened to passengers | 10 May 1981 (as Tyne and Wear Metro) |
| Closed to freight | 6 March 1989 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) |
| Number of tracks |
|
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | Overhead line (1,500 V DC) (1982–) |
The Ponteland and Darras Hall Branch was a 6+3⁄4 miles (10.9 km) single-track branch railway line, which opened in March 1905, under the North Eastern Railway. The line ran from South Gosforth in Tyne and Wear, to Ponteland in Northumberland, with a sub-line operating to Darras Hall.[1]
History
Authorised in 1899 as the Gosforth and Ponteland Light Railway, the line was built to provide a passenger service to link the communities to the north west of Newcastle upon Tyne – including Ponteland, Kenton, Fawdon, Coxlodge and West Gosforth, with the city and the North Eastern Railway's network.[1]
Construction started in 1900, with the line opening to freight on 1 March 1905. The line opened to passengers a few months later, on 1 June 1905.[citation needed]
As passenger numbers failed to reach expectations, electrification plans were put on hold. An extension to the "garden city" of Darras Hall was authorised in 1908, with the branch line opening on 1 October 1913.[2]
As a result of poor passenger numbers the Ponteland and Darras Hall branch closed to passengers on 17 June 1929, but remained open for freight services. In the later years, the line was used primarily for the ICI chemicals plant at Callerton, and Rowntree's factory at Fawdon, which opened in 1958. Freight trains continued to use the route until the closure of the ICI chemicals plant at Callerton, in March 1989.[citation needed]
In May 1981, the alignment of the former Ponteland and Darras Hall branch was re-opened between South Gosforth and Bank Foot (formerly known as Kenton Bank), as part of the Tyne and Wear Metro network. The line was extended to Newcastle International Airport in November 1991, with a further section of the line being re-opened to passenger services.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Ponteland & Darras Hall Branch". Northumbrian Railways. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Disused Stations: Darras Hall". Disused Stations. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Metro's airport extension celebrates its 25th year". Nexus. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)