Willington Quay railway station

Willington Quay
General information
LocationWillington Quay, North Tyneside
England
Coordinates54°59′33″N 1°29′42″W / 54.9924°N 1.4951°W / 54.9924; -1.4951
Grid referenceNZ324665
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyNorth Eastern Railway
Pre-groupingNorth Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 May 1879 (1879-05-01)Opened
2 October 1967Closed to freight
23 July 1973 (1973-07-23)Closed to passengers

Willington Quay was a railway station on the Riverside Branch, which ran between Byker and Willington Quay. The station served Willington Quay in North Tyneside.

The station was opened to passengers on 1 May 1879 by the North Eastern Railway.[1] It was situated adjacent to Armstrong Road off Howdon Lane.

History

The Newcastle and North Shields Railway received Royal Assent on 21 June 1836, with the line opening between Carliol Square and North Shields on 18 June 1839.[2] It ran along the north bank of the River Tyne, although due to the meandering course of the river, it ran some distance from the shoreline at the eastern end.

The branch line, which was designed to more closely follow the shoreline of the Tyne, serving the rapidly developing industries and communities, was authorised in 1871. It was built along a route "that consisted for the most part of tunnels, bridges, cuttings, retaining-walls, and embankments".[3]

The branch line opened on 1 May 1879.[4] The delay in opening the line reflected the scale of the engineering works required to build the many tunnels, cuttings and retaining walls. Despite being a loop line, the line was officially known as the Riverside Branch.[5]

In the early 1900s, tramway competition caused a rapid decline in the number of passengers using the North Eastern Railway's local services in North Tyneside. Therefore, in 1904, the branch line was electrified, using a 600 V DC third-rail system.[6]

Demise and closure

Between 1909 and 1948, an hourly all-day service ran on the line. In the late 1940s, passenger services on the branch were reduced to peak hours only, catering primarily for commuter traffic from the shipyards along the River Tyne.

The station's goods facilities, serving the Union Cement Company, North Eastern Marine Engineering Company and Wallsend Slipway, closed on 2 October 1967.

Along with the rest of the electric network in North Tyneside, the line was de-electrified in 1967, and converted to diesel multiple unit operation. By the early 1970s, traffic on the line had dwindled.[7]

The last passenger train operated from Willington Quay on 20 July 1973,[1] with the branch line officially closing to passengers three days later. The station was located about 200 m (220 yd) from Howdon, which offered a suitable alternative for passengers after closure.

References

  1. ^ a b Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 430. ISBN 978-0901461575.
  2. ^ Allen, Cecil J. (1974). The North Eastern Railway. London: Allan. pp. 81 and 82. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1. OCLC 1255585.
  3. ^ Tomlinson, William Weaver (1914). The North Eastern Railway: Its Rise and Development. Newton Abbot: David and Charles.
  4. ^ Allen, Cecil J. (1974). The North Eastern Railway. London: Allan. p. 115. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1. OCLC 1255585.
  5. ^ Young, Alan (1999). Suburban Railways of Tyneside. ISBN 1-871944-20-1.
  6. ^ Hoole, Kenneth (1974). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume IV, The North East. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. p. 204. ISBN 0-7153-6439-1. OCLC 643508708.
  7. ^ Young, Alan (1999). Suburban Railways of Tyneside. ISBN 1-871944-20-1.
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Point Pleasant
Line and station closed 		  North Eastern Railway
Riverside Branch 		  Percy Main
Line and station closed