Byker station is a railroad station in 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...

. It was originally only open to Workers who worked near or on Shields road which the station was tucked behind. The station was then opened and timetabled in 1901. The station was tucked between shields road and the junction on to the main line. Unlike other station on the line it was opened in 1884. In the Workers timetable it was referred to as Byker Platform station.

Riverside Rail branch & Location

This 6 and a half mile branch which was actually a loop was authorised on 13 July 1871. This would be from Riverside Junction, between Manors East & Heaton, to Percy Main. The reason this branch was suggested is that the nearby line from Newcastle to North Shields via Wallsend was failing to cope with the growing communities around the River Tyne and in the Walker

Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne

Walker is a residential suburb and electoral ward just east of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Walker's name is a hybrid of Old English and Viking Norse, "Wall-kjerr", where "kjerr" is Norse for "marshy woodland"...

 area. W.W. Thomas said "The route consisted for the most of tunnels, bridges, cuttings, retaining walls and embankments - an exceptionally heavy series of works". Also the line was very indirect compared to the Wallsend tracks.

The Line first opened in 1879 under 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...

. The stations on route are Byker (from 1901), St.Peters, St.Anthony's, Low Walker (Walker

Walker railway station

Walker station, known as Low Walker station until 1899, was located in Northumberland on the North Eastern Railway. This station served as a passenger halt and goods depot for shipping companies such as Armstrong Whitworth and other land based componies like the Northern Wood Haskinizing Company...

 from 1889), Carville, Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant railway station

Point Pleasant railway station served Point Pleasant, an area of Wallsend, Tyne & Wear. It was primarily used by workmen in the nearby shipyards, and was located on the Riverside Branch of the North Eastern Railway.-The Station:...

 and Willington Quey before rejoining the main tracks towards Percy Main.

Location

Byker was opened in the North West of the town of Byker slap bang between Heaton

Heaton railway station

Heaton railway station was a railway station in Newcastle upon Tyne, England near the southern boundary of Heaton with Byker. The station was built in the nineteenth century and closed on 11 August 1980.-History:...

 & Manor East. It was tucked in at the junction and tucked behind Shields road.

Station Plans & buildings

The platform where it squeezed between the tracks was only a foot wide, and it shared its signal box with The Riverside Junction signal box. Unlike Earlier stations it had a metal footbridge that remained until 1964. The signal level station house and waiting room were located middle of the platform.

Closure

After the war economy meant that trains were limited to Monday-Saturday peak hours. Then Byke and St. Anthonys were closed quickly after each other in 1954 and 1960. Further economies shared with the main line stopped electric trains and reduced the trains to a few diesel trains.

After this Byker stayed intact but lonely looking it is now under Morrisons car park.