Berwick-upon-Tweed: A CrossCountry Voyager standing at platform 1 of Berwick station waiting to take a service South
Graham Morgan 07/07/2010
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Location type
StationNames and dates
Berwick (1846-1955)Berwick-upon-Tweed (1955-)
Station code: BWK National Rail
Where: North East England, England
Opened on the North British Railway.
Opened on the Newcastle and Berwick Railway.
Open on the Edinburgh to Berwick.
Description
This is an island platform station. It is located at the north end of the Royal Border Bridge on the north bank of the Tweed.
The station was built on the site of Berwick Castle.
The original station was built slightly offset from the viaduct with a bypass line running down its west side, the station on a double track loop to the east. This had a trainshed and was partly built with stone from the demolished part of the castle.
The station was briefly the terminus of the line from North Bridge (now Edinburgh Waverley) until construction of the Royal Border Bridge by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway in 1850.
The station was rebuilt to its present form by the London and North Eastern Railway between 1924 and 27, to a design planned by the North British Railway but delayed by the Great War and uncertainty over The Grouping in 1923. The main building is on the east side with a footbridge over to island platform.
The overall layout of the station has been, sidings to the west, station, and goods yard to the east, approached from the north. The goods yard site is now a car park.
Local
English Heritage - Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Tags
Terminus stationAliases
Berwick-Upon-TweedExternal links
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
NLS Map
| Nearby stations Tweedmouth Scremerston Velvet Hall Burnmouth Goswick Ayton Norham Eyemouth Beal Reston Reston [1st] Chirnside Twizell Etal Edrom | Berwick Roundhouse Shed Royal Border Bridge Berwick-upon-Tweed Guardhouse Tweedmouth Power Box Tweedmouth Shed Scremerston Colliery and Tile Works Mine Scremerston Colliery Incline House Tourist/other Berwick Station Signal Box Berwick Junction Signal Box Berwick Central Signal Box River Tweed Berwick North Signal Box Tweed Dock Marshall Meadows Signal Box |
| Location names in dark blue are on the same original line. | |
CustomsTax was still raised on spirits crossing the border from Scotland to England when the railway opened. Whisky could be confiscated from passengers, searching for spirits by customs leading to much delay, until an Act of Parliament removed the impediment. QuicksilverWhen first opened in 1846 Berwick-upon-Tweed was the end of the line from Edinburgh North Bridge, the Royal Border Bridge (1850) was unbuilt and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway (1847) was not yet open. Passengers to or from the south would travel via the 'Quicksilver' coach between Berwick and Newcastle. |
Chronology Dates
| 18/06/1846 | North British Railway Opened from Edinburgh to Berwick and the branch from Longniddry to Haddington. Stations opened at Edinburgh, Berwick. Further stations followed around 22 June. |
| / /1848 | Newcastle and Berwick Railway Extended from Tweedmouth over the Royal Border Bridge to Berwick by the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway. |
| 15/01/1897 | North British Railway The North British Railway begins to operate the through trains from Edinburgh Waverley to London Kings Cross from Edinburgh as far as Berwick where the North Eastern Railway takes over. |
