Haltwhistle railway station
Encyclopedia
Haltwhistle railway station is a railway station
which serves the town of Haltwhistle
in Northumberland
, England
. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line 37 kilometres (23 mi) east of Carlisle
. The station is managed by Northern Rail
who provide all passenger train services.
, via Kilmarnock
. Until December 2009, two of these services went to Stranraer Harbour.
, a branch line of the Newcastle to Carlisle. Originally built to access the mines around Alston, this line never fulfilled its economic potential and it was closed in 1976 following the completion of an improved road between the two towns. The track was lifted the following year after a preservation attempt by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society proved unsuccessful. The society did eventually succeed in buying part of the line and built the South Tynedale Railway
, a narrow-gauge heritage railway
running from Alston, along the former trackbed as far as Kirkhaugh
.
The path of the line followes Pennine Way
for some of its route, and was mentioned by Alfred Wainwright
in his Pennine Way Companion.
There are plans to further extend the narrow gauge railway long the former trackbed towards Haltwhistle, although it is unlikely to reach Haltwhistle due to the prohibitive costs of restoring and maintaining the Lambley Viaduct
to a standard where it could carry regular rail traffic.
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...
which serves the town of Haltwhistle
Haltwhistle
Haltwhistle is a small town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, situated east of Brampton, near Hadrian's Wall, and the villages of Plenmeller, Rowfoot and Melkridge...
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...
, 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...
. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line 37 kilometres (23 mi) east of Carlisle
Carlisle railway station
Carlisle railway station, also known as Carlisle Citadel station, is a railway station whichserves the Cumbrian City of Carlisle, England, and is a major station on the West Coast Main Line, lying south of Glasgow Central, and north of London Euston...
. The station is managed by Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
who provide all passenger train services.
Services
There is a basic hourly service in each direction (two-hourly evenings, hourly on Sundays), eastbound to Newcastle and westbound to Carlisle. From Monday to Saturday, three westbound services continue beyond Carlisle to Glasgow Central StationGlasgow Central station
Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line railway terminals in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway on 31 July 1879 and is currently managed by Network Rail...
, via Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of 44,734. It is the second largest town in Ayrshire. The River Irvine runs through its eastern section, and the Kilmarnock Water passes through it, giving rise to the name 'Bank Street'...
. Until December 2009, two of these services went to Stranraer Harbour.
Alston branch line
The station was also formerly the terminus of the Alston to Haltwhistle RailwayAlston Line
The Alston Line was a 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...
, a branch line of the Newcastle to Carlisle. Originally built to access the mines around Alston, this line never fulfilled its economic potential and it was closed in 1976 following the completion of an improved road between the two towns. The track was lifted the following year after a preservation attempt by the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society proved unsuccessful. The society did eventually succeed in buying part of the line and built the South Tynedale Railway
South 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...
, a narrow-gauge heritage railway
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
running from Alston, along the former trackbed as far as Kirkhaugh
Kirkhaugh
Kirkhaugh is a village in Northumberland, England close to the A689 road north of Alston, Cumbria.- Governance :Kirkhaugh is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.- Transport :Railways...
.
The path of the line followes Pennine Way
Pennine Way
The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...
for some of its route, and was mentioned by Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
in his Pennine Way Companion.
There are plans to further extend the narrow gauge railway long the former trackbed towards Haltwhistle, although it is unlikely to reach Haltwhistle due to the prohibitive costs of restoring and maintaining the Lambley Viaduct
Lambley, Northumberland
Lambley, formerly Harper Town,is a village in Northumberland, England about southwest of Haltwhistle. The place name Lambley refers to the "pasture of lambs"....
to a standard where it could carry regular rail traffic.