RAILSCOT | Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway)

Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway)

Introduction

This line was closed. A section has been re-opened by the South Tynedale Railway between Alston and Kirkhaugh. Today the nearest main line station is at Haltwhistle. Land was taken for possible doubling and many structures built for two lines, but only a single line was laid.

Dates

26/08/1846	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Branch to Alston authorised.
17/11/1852	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Alston branch opened.
/ /1959	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) DMUs start to run on the branch, Alston Shed closes.
/ /1965	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Freight is withdrawn and Beeching Report recommends closure of the line. The line is reprieved as there is no all weather road to Alston.
/ /1967	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Alston station's overall roof is removed.
03/05/1976	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Alston branch closed.
/ /1980	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Decision taken to open a narrow-gauge line northwards from Alston.
/ /1983	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Line re-opens as the South Tynedale Railway.
/ /1996	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) Lambley Viaduct re-opened after restoration as a footpath.
/ /1999	Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway) South Tynedale Railway extended to Kirkhaugh from Gilderdale.

Locations along the line

These locations are along the line.

Haltwhistle

This is a two platform station in West End, to the west of the village of Haltwhistle's centre. The station is in excellent condition. There is a stone built building on the eastbound platform, timber on the westbound, elevated and disused signal box is at the east end of the westbound platform alongside the footbridge. A very large water tank survives in the former goods yard to the north west of ...

More details

See also
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway

A view of the entrance to the South Tyne Trail that runs south on the trackbed of the former Alston branch, from the former bridge location on ...
David Pesterfield 04/06/2021

The waiting room on platform 2 at Haltwhistle looked wonderful, but it was locked. ...
Ken Strachan 15/04/2022

This class 158 unit is focussed on the task ahead as it leaves Haltwhistle heading for Carlisle on 25th July 2021. ...
Ken Strachan 25/07/2021

That is a nice bit of varnished wood on the Haltwhistle footbridge, but the signal box could do with a clean. The train is heading for Carlisle, on ...
Ken Strachan 15/04/2022

4 of 48 images. more

Featherstone Park

...

More details

Busy doing nothing. Scene at Featherstone Park, Northumberland, on the former Alston branch on a sunny afternoon in 2010. View is north east over the ...
John Furnevel 01/11/2010

A sunny afternoon at Featherstone Park in November 2010. View is south towards Alston. The station closed along with the branch in 1976 and this ...
John Furnevel 01/11/2010

View north east over the site of the level crossing at Featherstone Park on the Alston branch on 1 November 2010. The branch was closed completely in ...
John Furnevel 01/11/2010

3 of 3 images.

Coanwood

...

More details

Coanwood, on the former Alston branch, after vegetation clearance - which we appreciate. See image 2468. ...
Ken Strachan 22/05/2014

Looking North towards Haltwhistle from the car park for visitors to Lambley viaduct. The car park is built on and adjacent to the branch trackbed. ...
Ken Strachan 22/05/2014

The much modified and extended former station master's house at Coanwood on the Alston branch in May 2014. The remains of the old station, now part of ...
Ken Strachan 22/05/2014

Middle of nowhere - surviving buffer stops in the woods near Coanwood on the Alston branch in September 2003, thought to have been associated with the ...
John Furnevel 22/09/2003

4 of 5 images. more

Lambley Viaduct

...

More details

The 12.25 Alston to Haltwhistle crosses Lambley Viaduct in either February or March 1976. Passenger services were withdrawn over the branch as from ...
John Clark //1976

Lambley Viaduct, seen from an Alston branch train, shortly before the line closed in May 1976. ...
Doug Nicholls //1976

Lambley viaduct in 1976, the year the Alston branch line closed. ...
Doug Nicholls 05/03/1976

On a beautiful sunny morning I had a run along the line. This is a very impressive structure, it actually looks quite precarious with it being so high ...
Alan Cormack 18/01/2019

4 of 12 images. more

Lambley

...

More details

See also
Lord Carlisle^s Railways

Laid out like a scenic path, at least as much as a railway - looking towards Alston on 22 May 2014 from a point just South of Lambley station. ...
Ken Strachan 22/05/2014

Lambley from the south. The waggonway continued north and then west and the railway crossed the viaduct. ...
Ewan Crawford //

Lambley station on the Alston branch in March 1976, displaying both a corporate image BR running-in board at the far end and a North Eastern Region ...
Bill Jamieson 27/03/1976

Lambley station and viaduct viewed from the south west in March 1976. Looking at the sylvan surroundings, it is difficult to imagine that there was ...
Bill Jamieson 27/03/1976

4 of 5 images. more

Slaggyford

...

More details

An all encompasing view looking north east towards Slaggyford station, with the platform building to the left of the signal box, the former Station ...
David Pesterfield 14/09/2021

Slaggyford signal box, on the end of the station platform, on a non-operational day in January 2022. I think the box has a wheel to open and shut the ...
Alan Cormack 11/01/2022

The recently reopened station at Slaggyford, looking South towards Alston in July 2021. ...
Ken Strachan 30/07/2021

Walking northwards from Slaggyford towards Knarsdale Viaduct, we found this elegantly reinforced stone bridge carrying road traffic above; and walkers ...
Ken Strachan 30/07/2021

4 of 11 images. more

Lintley Halt

...

More details

'BARBER' an 0-6-0ST running round its train at Lintley Halt, the northern station on the the South Tynedale Railway. The Railway is soon to extend ...
Peter Todd 17/07/2017

'BARBER' an 0-6-0ST at Lintley Halt, the northern station on the the South Tynedale Railway. The Railway is soon to open up its extension to ...
Peter Todd 17/07/2017

Scene at Lintley Halt, the current terminus of the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway, on 18 May 2014. The diesel locomotive is Naworth ...
Peter Todd 18/05/2014

3 of 3 images.

Kirkhaugh

...

More details

Looking South towards Kirkhaugh on the South Tynedale Railway, through the cab of the diesel locomotive on 22 May 2014 see image 22542. ...
Ken Strachan 22/05/2014

1 of 1 images.

Gilderdale

...

More details

Gilderdale Viaduct can be seen close to the A689 road, running between Alston and Brampton, and is some two miles north of Alston. It is a four arch ...
David Pesterfield 14/09/2021

A departure from the then northern limit of passenger working of the South Tynedalle Railway, Gilderdale, on 25 July 1993. ...
John McIntyre 25/07/1993

During a few days based in Alston I ran along the South Tyne Trail, which shares the trackbed of the South Tynedale Railway. No trains were in service ...
Alan Cormack 14/01/2022

Bagnall 0-4-0ST Woto (2133 of 1924) at Gilderdale on the South Tynedale Railway in July 1993. Gilderdale was the northern terminus until 1996 ...
John McIntyre 25/07/1993

4 of 5 images. more

Alston

This was the terminus of the Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway).
...

More details

A diesel-hauled passenger train arrives at Alston with the token being surrendered.
...
Bill Roberton //1996

The old goods shed, across the access road from Alston station building, now serves as The Hub Museum. This view looking south west shows the two ...
David Pesterfield 14/09/2021

Alston Station building seen across the approach road in September 2021, with the more recent overall roof seen to its left. ...
David Pesterfield 14/09/2021

A curved loading bank is sited south of the former station goods shed by Alston Station. This must have been served by the lines running through and ...
David Pesterfield 14/09/2021

4 of 52 images. more

Books

Hexham to Carlisle: Including the Alston and the Brampton Branches (Eastern Main Lines)

Alston Branch (Newcastle and Carlisle Railway)

Introduction

Dates

Locations along the line

Haltwhistle

Featherstone Park

Coanwood

Lambley Viaduct

Lambley

Slaggyford

Lintley Halt

Kirkhaugh

Gilderdale

Alston

Books

Quick links

The Big Five

The Big Four

Photographs

Share

Scenic Lines

Contact