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Slaggyford
Slaggyford
Station on heritage railway
General information
Location	Slaggyford, Northumberland; England
Coordinates	54°51′54″N 2°30′22″W / 54.8651°N 2.5062°W
Grid reference	NY676523
Owned by	South Tynedale Railway
Managed by	South Tynedale Railway
Platforms	1
History
Original company	Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
21 May 1852	Opened
3 May 1976	Closed
11 June 2018	Reopened as part of the South Tynedale Railway

Slaggyford was historically a railway station on the Alston Line, which ran between Haltwhistle and Alston. The station served the village of Slaggyford in Northumberland.[1]

Located 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) from the junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Haltwhistle, the station was opened on 21 May 1852 by the North Eastern Railway.^[1]

Several unscheduled calling points existed on the section between Slaggyford and Lambley, including Whitwham, Softley, and Burnstones.^[2] Trains regularly stopped to allow passengers to board and alight, despite the lack of platforms or facilities at these locations.

After being closed for 42 years, the station reopened in June 2018, as part of the South Tynedale Railway.^[3]

History

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, opening to passengers in stages from March 1835.^[4] Plans for a branch line from Haltwhistle to Alston and Nenthead were first proposed in 1841, and the line was officially authorised by an Act of Parliament in August 1846.^[5] It was later decided that extending the line only to Alston would be sufficient, and the revised route was approved by a second Act of Parliament in July 1849.

In March 1851, the 4½-mile section from Haltwhistle to Shaft Hill (later renamed Coanwood) opened to goods traffic. Passenger services on this section began in July 1851. In January 1852, the 8¼-mile section between Alston and Lambley, along with a short branch to Lambley Fell, opened for goods traffic. Passenger services on this section began in May 1852.

The construction of the branch line was completed in November 1852, following the opening of the, now Grade II* listed,^[6] Lambley Viaduct over the River South Tyne.^[7]

Demise and closure

In 1954, Slaggyford and Featherstone Park were reduced to unstaffed halt status, with Coanwood following in 1955.

The line was originally slated for closure in the 1960s under the Beeching plan. However, the lack of an all-weather road in the area allowed it to remain operational. Following improvements to the road network, including a temporary level crossing over the branch at Lambley, the line was closed on 3 May 1976 by the British Railways Board, with the last train working two days earlier.^[8] The line was replaced in part by a bus service, which was operated by Ribble Motor Services.

South Tynedale Railway

(including the former Alston Line)

Legend

Alston

Alston Railway Bridge

over River South Tyne

Gilderdale Halt

Gilderdale Burn

Kirkhaugh

Lintley Halt

Lintley Viaduct

over Thornhope Burn

Slaggyford

Knar Burn

Burnstones Viaduct

over Thinhope Burn

Lambley

Brampton Railway

to Brampton Town

Lambley Viaduct

over River South Tyne

Alston Arches Viaduct

over River South Tyne

Tyne Valley line

to Hexham & Newcastle

Haltwhistle

Tyne Valley line

to Carlisle

The South Tynedale Railway operates
between Slaggyford and Alston.

In June 2018, the station reopened as part of the South Tynedale Railway.^[3] The narrow-gauge heritage railway operates along a 5-mile (8 km) section of the former Alston Line, which closed to passengers in May 1976. The railway serves former stations at Slaggyford and Alston, as well as purpose-built stations at Lintley Halt and Kirkhaugh.

References

^ Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 368. ISBN 978-0901461575.
^ Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. pp. 99, 370 and 428. ISBN 978-0901461575.
^ ^a ^b Henderson, Tony (8 June 2018). "Steam trains return to village as station reopens after 42 years". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
^ James, Leslie (November 1983). A Chronology of the Construction of Britain's Railways 1778-1855. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 22. ISBN 0-7110-1277-6. BE/1183.
^ Whittle, George (1979). The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. p. 73. ISBN 0-7153-7855-4. OCLC 7197045.
^ Historic England, "Railway Viaduct Across River South Tyne (Grade II*) (1042918)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 7 November 2020
^ Fenton, Mike (January 2018). "Byway of the 'Barra'". BackTrack. Vol. 32, no. 321. Easingwold: Pendragon Publishing. pp. 26–30.
^ Quick, Michael (2009). Railway Passenger Stations in Great Britain: A Chronology. Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 10. ISBN 978-0901461575.