Alston Line
Encyclopedia
The Alston Line was a 13.5 miles (21.7 km) standard gauge
branch line
railway that operated in the counties of Northumberland
and Cumbria
in England
. Starting at its junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
line at Haltwhistle
, the line ran to the town of Alston
. An 1846 Parliamentary Act
authorised a line as far as Nenthead
, providing an outlet for the lead
mines in the Alston area, and plans were made to connect with railways further south. When the decision was made to terminate the branch at Alston, a further act was needed in 1849.
Initially the line opened in stages: from the junction to Shafthill (later renamed Coanwood) in 1851, and from Alston to Lambley in 1852. The full opening of the line awaited the construction of Lambley Viaducthttp://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/haltalst.html, and was achieved later in 1852.
Diesel Multiple Unit
based at Blaydon
and ran as a siding, a simple railway with no signals other than those at the junction, from Haltwhistle. Although the line was marked for closure in the Beeching plan
, the lack of an all-weather road kept it open. A link between local roads, including a temporary level crossing over the branch, was built in the Lambley area. This enabled Ribble Motor Services
to run a replacement bus service. The line closed officially on the 3rd of May 1976 with the last train working two days earlier.
Despite efforts by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society to take over the line, the track was lifted soon after the closure.
, this 2 foot (0.6096 m) gauge line now runs 2.5 miles (4 km) from Alston to Kirkhaugh and includes a viaduct over the River South Tyne
. A mile-long extension to a new station and temporary terminus at Lintley is under construction, nearing completion and will probably open at Easter 2012. Construction of the next section of two and a quarter miles to Slaggyford is under consideration and funding is being sought with hopes of completion by 2014 or 2015.
The track bed has been severed at two points close to the Haltwhistle junction by the A69
Haltwhistle Bypass and the removal of a former bridge on a minor road nearby.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway that operated in the counties of Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
and Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Starting at its junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...
line at Haltwhistle
Haltwhistle railway station
Haltwhistle railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line east of Carlisle...
, the line ran to the town of Alston
Alston, Cumbria
Alston is a small town in Cumbria, England on the River South Tyne. It is one of the highest elevation towns in the country, at about 1,000 feet above sea level.-Geography:...
. An 1846 Parliamentary Act
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
authorised a line as far as Nenthead
Nenthead
The small village of Nenthead in the county of Cumbria is one of England's highest villages, at 1,500 feet. It was not built until the middle of the 18th century and was one of the earliest purpose-built industrial villages in Britain...
, providing an outlet for the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mines in the Alston area, and plans were made to connect with railways further south. When the decision was made to terminate the branch at Alston, a further act was needed in 1849.
Initially the line opened in stages: from the junction to Shafthill (later renamed Coanwood) in 1851, and from Alston to Lambley in 1852. The full opening of the line awaited the construction of Lambley Viaducthttp://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/haltalst.html, and was achieved later in 1852.
Rundown and closure
In the 1950s freight services were withdrawn from Coanwood and all the intermediate stations were unstaffed. After the locomotive shed closed in 1959 and the line's goods services were withdrawn in the early 1960s the line operated with a Class 101British Rail Class 101
The British Rail Class 101 diesel multiple units were built by Metro-Cammell at Washwood Heath in Birmingham from 1956 to 1959, following construction of a series of prototype units. This class proved to be the most successful and longest-lived of all BR's First Generation DMUs, with the final five...
Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
based at Blaydon
Blaydon
Blaydon-on-Tyne is a town in the North East of England in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The former urban district, however, extends much further, its fourteen and a half square miles constituting the largest administrative district, after Newcastle, on Tyneside...
and ran as a siding, a simple railway with no signals other than those at the junction, from Haltwhistle. Although the line was marked for closure in the Beeching plan
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, the lack of an all-weather road kept it open. A link between local roads, including a temporary level crossing over the branch, was built in the Lambley area. This enabled Ribble Motor Services
Ribble Motor Services
Ribble Motor Services was a large regional bus operator in the North West of England, based in Preston. The company was started in 1919, and grew to be the largest operator in the region, with a territory stretching from Carlisle to south Lancashire...
to run a replacement bus service. The line closed officially on the 3rd of May 1976 with the last train working two days earlier.
Despite efforts by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society to take over the line, the track was lifted soon after the closure.
The Line Today
In 1983 a narrow gauge railway opened between Alston and Gilderdale, and has since been extended northwards. Known as the South Tynedale RailwaySouth Tynedale Railway
The South Tynedale Railway is a heritage railway in England and is England's highest narrow gauge railway. The route runs from Alston in Cumbria to Kirkhaugh in Northumberland via the South Tyne Viaduct, the Gilderdale Viaduct and the Whitley Viaduct...
, this 2 foot (0.6096 m) gauge line now runs 2.5 miles (4 km) from Alston to Kirkhaugh and includes a viaduct over the River South Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. A mile-long extension to a new station and temporary terminus at Lintley is under construction, nearing completion and will probably open at Easter 2012. Construction of the next section of two and a quarter miles to Slaggyford is under consideration and funding is being sought with hopes of completion by 2014 or 2015.
The track bed has been severed at two points close to the Haltwhistle junction by the A69
A69 road
The A69 is a major road in northern England, running east-west across the Pennines, through the counties of Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Cumbria. Originally the road started in Blaydon, but since the creation of the A1 Western Bypass around Newcastle upon Tyne, it now starts at Denton Burn a...
Haltwhistle Bypass and the removal of a former bridge on a minor road nearby.
Sources
- Northumbrian Railways http://www.northumbrian-railways.co.uk/alston.html
- The South Tynedale Railway http://www.strps.org.uk/str/history/branchlinehistory.htm
- and http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/lane/jy40/index.htm
- Railscot http://www.ewan.force9.co.uk/rail/Alston_Branch/frame.htm