A severe ninety degree curve in the line of the railway immediately to the south of the station has been the site of four serious rail accidents, two of them fatal.
Blyth and Tyne Railway
Another station was opened by the Blyth and Tyne Railway on 1 April 1858 and closed 24 May 1880.[2] This was a terminus station that was also used by North British Railway trains from the west from Scotsgap from the opening of their line in 1862 until 1872.[3][4] The B&T line to Bedlington lost its passenger trains in April 1950 (although occasional summer services between Scotland and the North Eastern coastal resorts continued operating over it until the 1960s), but it remains in use for freight and may have its passenger trains restored in the future (as an extension of the current local stopping service) - the South East Northumberland Rail User Group is currently campaigning for this.[5] The current local service from Newcastle that terminates here uses the connection onto the B&T line north of the station to reverse and layover clear of the main line between trips.
Passenger trains over the old NBR line from Scotsgap, Reedsmouth and Rothbury ended in September 1952[6] and it closed completely in 1966 - few traces of this route now remain.
Facilities
In December 2011, a self-service FastTicket machine was installed by Northern Rail for use outside the hours of operation of the ticket office (06:40 -12:40, Mondays to Saturdays only). Pre-purchased tickets can now also be collected from Morpeth. The ticket office is located on the eastern side of the line in the main station building, which also has a taxi office and toilets. The opposite (northbound) platform has a waiting shelter and the two are linked by a subway with lifts for wheelchair and mobility impaired users.[7] Train running information is supplied via timetable posters and digital display screens.[8]
A £2.4 million redevelopment of the station was approved in October 2016 and was started in October 2018 - this has seen the main buildings refurbished and the portico entrance modernised to incorporate a cafeteria, expanded ticket office and upgraded toilets. 5,382 square feet (500 m2) of office space has been created for local small businesses. The exterior of the station has been restored to Benjamin Green's original design, including the reinstatement of 15 tall chimney pots. The project was led by Greater Morpeth Development Trust and Northumberland County Council, with financial support from the Railway Heritage Trust, Network Rail, Northern and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.[9] The refurbishment was completed in September 2020 and opened by Andy Savage, executive director of the Railway Heritage Trust.[10]
Services
Services from Morpeth are currently operating to a reduced timetable, owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There is also currently a consultation in place, which could see stopping services to and from Morpeth, as well as neighbouring Alnmouth for Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed, significantly altered from the May 2022 timetable change.[11][12][13][14]
CrossCountry
As of the May 2021 timetable change, there are four trains per day heading north towards Edinburgh Waverley. Heading south, there are five trains per day (weekday) to Birmingham New Street via Sheffield, one of which continues to Plymouth, with a further three trains running as far as Bristol Temple Meads. On a Saturday, a single train operates to Bristol Temple Meads. On Sunday, four trains run to Birmingham New Street, with one continuing to Plymouth, and two running as far as Bristol Temple Meads.[15]
As of the June 2021 timetable change, there are seven trains per day heading north towards Edinburgh Waverley, one of which extends to Aberdeen. There are seven trains per day heading south, five of which run to London King's Cross, with two trains per day running as far as Newcastle and Leeds respectively.[16]
As of the December 2021 timetable change, there is an hourly service between Newcastle and Morpeth. Most services extend to Carlisle via Hexham. At peak times, two trains per day (excluding Sunday) extend to Chathill.[21]
In September 2021, TransPennine Express announced that they would be introducing a five return trains per weekday semi-fast service between Newcastle and Edinburgh from December 2021, which will call at Morpeth.[23]
Body, G. (1989). PSL Field Guides - Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2: Northern operating area (1st ed.). Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN1-8526-0072-1. OCLC59892452.
Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC22311137.
Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC228266687.
^ abStations in Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton-on-Tees are considered part of North East England, while stations in the unitary areas of York and North Yorkshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber.
^Stations in North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire are considered part of Yorkshire and the Humber, while all other stations are considered part of the East Midlands.
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