Backworth railway station
Encyclopedia
Backworth railway station served part of Newcastle
in the English
county of Northumberland
, later part of Tyne and Wear
. The station
, opened as Hotspur, replaced another Backworth station on the line to Morpeth
which had been opened as Holywell.
, then joining the London and North Eastern Railway
, the station passed to the Eastern Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948. The line had been electrified (as the Tyneside Electric) by the North Eastern Railway
in 1904 to fight competition from the newly-built electric tramways, but was de-electrified in the 1960s.
The station was then closed by the British Railways Board
to enable the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro
, but was not re-opened as part of that system. Initially Shiremoor
was the nearest metro station to the site until the 2005 opening of Northumberland Park.
now call at Northumberland Park
on the same site.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in the English
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...
county 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...
, later part of Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
. The station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
, opened as Hotspur, replaced another Backworth station on the line to Morpeth
Morpeth railway station
Morpeth railway station is a railway station on the East Coast Main Line in Northumberland, northern England, serving the town of Morpeth.- History :The station was opened by the Newcastle and Berwick Railway on 1 March 1847...
which had been opened as Holywell.
History
Opened by the North Eastern RailwayNorth Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
, then joining the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
, the station passed to the Eastern Region of British Railways
Eastern Region of British Railways
The Eastern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
on nationalisation in 1948. The line had been electrified (as the Tyneside Electric) by the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
in 1904 to fight competition from the newly-built electric tramways, but was de-electrified in the 1960s.
The station was then closed by the British Railways Board
British Railways Board
The British Railways Board was a nationalised industry in the United Kingdom that existed from 1962 to 2001. From its foundation until 1997, it was responsible for most railway services in Great Britain, trading under the brand names British Railways and, from 1965, British Rail...
to enable the construction of the Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
, but was not re-opened as part of that system. Initially Shiremoor
Shiremoor Metro station
Shiremoor Metro station is on the Yellow Line of the Tyne and Wear Metro, serving the village of Shiremoor, in North Tyneside, England. The station opened in 1980, as part of the first stage of the Metro system. It was a brand-new station, and replaced Backworth. In the 2008-9 period the station...
was the nearest metro station to the site until the 2005 opening of Northumberland Park.
The site today
Trains of the electrified Tyne and Wear MetroTyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
now call at Northumberland Park
Northumberland Park Metro station
Northumberland Park Metro station is a station on the Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line. It serves a new housing development known as Northumberland Park. It is situated between Palmersville and Shiremoor, close to where the single-track freight-only Network Rail line diverges northwards towards...
on the same site.