Tyne Valley Line

[Roose]

RMT soon got on the case - http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-calls-for-assurances-on-deutsche-bahn-arriva-north/

Not like the RMT to be po-faced about what may well be a reporter's error.

Guess we can look forward to Craig Johnston popping up on local TV to spout another round of false outrage and bile?

 

[Tetchytyke]

From the News and Star:

[Hynes] said: “We got confused. The route will get refurbished trains rather than brand new ones, but they will be as good as new.

“Whether the trains are brand new or refurbished, from a customer perspective it won’t make any difference.

“The trains will be as good as new.”

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/-...boss--05dde5ea-4f1c-47bb-aa2c-14eb4f00a407-ds

So he did say it, after all. Good to know he has a firm grasp of what his company will actually be doing.

 

[MonsooN]

I've always thought that the Tyne Valley line would make a great place for a heritage railway. It's one of the most scenic lines around and with the fairly light passenger and freight use, surely there could be capacity for some steam locos going between Newcastle and Carlisle. There's plenty of opportunities for stops at places like Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwistle.

If steam wasn't possible, maybe some more recreational things such as the curry train - which, according to the Chronicle, is making a bit of a comeback!

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/what...oard-curry-train-newcastle-corbridge-11222371

I've only been along the line once, on the way to Kilmarnock, but I remember thinking what a lovely journey it was.

 

[SteveP29]

I've only been along the line once, on the way to Kilmarnock, but I remember thinking what a lovely journey it was.

I get the pleasure at least once, sometimes twice a year when the diversions between Edinburgh and Newcastle are on, as you said, fantastic scenery, but it's a damned slow journey

 

[Tetchytyke]

If steam wasn't possible, maybe some more recreational things such as the curry train - which, according to the Chronicle, is making a bit of a comeback!

I'm gutted to see that bloody Curry Train come back. My heart always sank when I saw the waiters with their cool boxes of booze standing on the platform when I was off over to Carlisle. It was a guaranteed 45 minutes of screeching from the huge groups of drunks that seemed particularly drawn to that place. Absolutely hellish.

 

[backontrack]

I've always thought that the Tyne Valley line would make a great place for a heritage railway. It's one of the most scenic lines around and with the fairly light passenger and freight use, surely there could be capacity for some steam locos going between Newcastle and Carlisle. There's plenty of opportunities for stops at places like Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwistle.

It is a beautiful line - and a very underrated one too.

The Penistone Line has its own successful music trains and real-ale trains. Why not introduce some kind of initiative onto the Tyne Valley Line? Though obviously not when the football fans are onboard. I agree that steam use is a good idea.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The Penistone Line has its own successful music trains and real-ale trains. Why not introduce some kind of initiative onto the Tyne Valley Line?

I'm not sure what the plans are this summer, but there are often real-ale and music trains on the Tyne Valley, organised by the community rail partnership. Tended to be early evening to Carlisle, returning on the last train. And much as I detest that sodding Curry Train, I don't mind the real ale and music ones.

 

[MonsooN]

The Curry train may not be the most popular example for the regular rail travellers, but it's certainly a good example of what's possible with the right incentives and marketing.

A real ale train sounds like a good idea, because as previously mentioned, there are lots of places to stop along the way. The Pacers would be no good on that run though - no toilets!

 

[SeanG]

The Pacers would be no good on that run though - no toilets!

Except for the one in the middle. Same number as 156s ie 1

 

[backontrack]

I've personally always been surprised by the fact that hardly any Newcastle-Carlisle trains stop at Corbridge and Haydon Bridge (particularly the former). The towns are equivalent to the size of Haltwhistle and, unlike at Brampton, the stations serving them aren't miles away.

 

[TheKnightWho]

I've personally always been surprised by the fact that hardly any Newcastle-Carlisle trains stop at Corbridge and Haydon Bridge (particularly the former). The towns are equivalent to the size of Haltwhistle and, unlike at Brampton, the stations serving them aren't miles away.

Both get an hourly service.

 

[backontrack]

I know, but I find it odd that Corbridge hardly gets any through trains to Carlisle.

 

[sprinterguy]

I've always thought that the Tyne Valley line would make a great place for a heritage railway. It's one of the most scenic lines around and with the fairly light passenger and freight use, surely there could be capacity for some steam locos going between Newcastle and Carlisle. There's plenty of opportunities for stops at places like Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwistle.

It's certainly the sort of secondary route that I would consider suitable for a regular, seasonal steam service akin to the Cumbrian Mountain Express (when the S&C is functioning as a through route!) and Scarborough Spa Express.

 

[edwin_m]

I've personally always been surprised by the fact that hardly any Newcastle-Carlisle trains stop at Corbridge and Haydon Bridge (particularly the former). The towns are equivalent to the size of Haltwhistle and, unlike at Brampton, the stations serving them aren't miles away.

I guess they are currently considered as Newcastle commuter stations and the small number of people to and from west of Hexham just have to change there as the benefit of stopping the Carlisle trains is not worth the extra journey time for other passengers. However, it looks like this route is getting a half-hourly service in the future, so most of the trains stopping at Corbridge are likely to run to Carlisle although probably calling at most stations in between.

 

[Millisle]

As the main issue relating to journey time is not the stock, but the restrictions of 1830s civil engineering I should imagine we are largely stuck with it. Roads in these circumstances are eventually rebuilt and realigned, but for railways that is not on the financial agenda.

 

[northern156]

I've personally always been surprised by the fact that hardly any Newcastle-Carlisle trains stop at Corbridge and Haydon Bridge (particularly the former). The towns are equivalent to the size of Haltwhistle and, unlike at Brampton, the stations serving them aren't miles away.

Corbridge is a hell of a lot smaller than Halty!!

 

[Tetchytyke]

As the main issue relating to journey time is not the stock, but the restrictions of 1830s civil engineering I should imagine we are largely stuck with it. Roads in these circumstances are eventually rebuilt and realigned, but for railways that is not on the financial agenda.

The A69 isn't a great deal better. I know they built bypasses round most of the villages, but it's still a slow single carriageway road west of Hexham.

I've personally always been surprised by the fact that hardly any Newcastle-Carlisle trains stop at Corbridge and Haydon Bridge (particularly the former). The towns are equivalent to the size of Haltwhistle and, unlike at Brampton, the stations serving them aren't miles away.

Corbridge's traffic all goes to Newcastle. Haydon Bridge isn't particularly big, although it does have the high school for the region.

 

[Millisle]

The A69 isn't a great deal better. I know they built bypasses round most of the villages, but it's still a slow single carriageway road west of Hexham.



Corbridge's traffic all goes to Newcastle. Haydon Bridge isn't particularly big, although it does have the high school for the region.

It is certainly true that the A69, with which I am also familiar, is not in its western reaches too clever, but the government is evaluating dualling the whole road. If it decides to rebuild and realign any of the railway no-one will be more pleased or indeed surprised than me.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Was one of the stations on the line once used as a rail head for logging activity? Possibly Hexham? Do the sidings still exist if the traffic was to return?

 

[TheKnightWho]

Was one of the stations on the line once used as a rail head for logging activity? Possibly Hexham? Do the sidings still exist if the traffic was to return?

Hexham's recently had much of its old goods yard built over. It would be possible to build a spur to the Eggar plant directly without demolishing anything, but it would require bridging the Tyne: very expensive.

 

[DarloRich]

i am sure there used to be timber trains and/or timber products sent out by train from somewhere along the Tyne Valley. I assumed Hexham but the works are on the other side of the river.

Any ideas?

 

[edwin_m]

There was talk at one time of reinstating the old line to Riccarton Junction as far as somewhere in Kielder Forest (downstream of the reservoir obviously) but it never came to anything.

 

[SteveP29]

There was talk at one time of reinstating the old line to Riccarton Junction as far as somewhere in Kielder Forest (downstream of the reservoir obviously) but it never came to anything.

That could be ideal if the propsal to extend the Borders Railway to Hawick (and eventually beyond) comes to fruition

 

[Tetchytyke]

i am sure there used to be timber trains and/or timber products sent out by train from somewhere along the Tyne Valley. I assumed Hexham but the works are on the other side of the river.

Any ideas?

I'm not sure. There's the freight siding between Bardon Mill and Haltwhistle (just to the west of the tunnel, on the south of the line) which I remember seeing freight trains being loaded in, but I can't remember if that was coal or timber that was loaded there.

There's also the huge toilet paper mill at Prudhoe.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'm not sure. There's the freight siding between Bardon Mill and Haltwhistle (just to the west of the tunnel, on the south of the line) which I remember seeing freight trains being loaded in, but I can't remember if that was coal or timber that was loaded there.

That used to be the rapid coal loader for Plenmeller opencast.

 

[DarloRich]

I'm not sure. There's the freight siding between Bardon Mill and Haltwhistle (just to the west of the tunnel, on the south of the line) which I remember seeing freight trains being loaded in, but I can't remember if that was coal or timber that was loaded there.

There's also the huge toilet paper mill at Prudhoe.

that was for open cast coal.

it might have been Prudhoe but it was so long ago ( and i have slept and consumed beer) that i cant remember!

 

[sarahj]

The only freight I remember was the odd VGA van at Hexham for the Eggar factory. The used to make chipboard IIRC. This would have been on the early to mid 80's.

The Plenmeller loading point just east of Hatwhistle was built as it was a condition of the planning for the opencast to take the coal away by rail. I saw the siding go in, the loading point built, and then later left to rot.

Other than that, nothing. The andrex factory at Prudhoe, I never saw any rail connections.

 

[edwin_m]

That could be ideal if the propsal to extend the Borders Railway to Hawick (and eventually beyond) comes to fruition

Unfortunately there is a minor obstacle in linking these, in that Kielder Water submerges part of the route. There was also a proposal to build in from the north and get the timber out via Riccarton and Carlisle, but since these essentially do the same thing it would be most unlikely both would happen.