Hexham railway station

Hexham is a railway station on the Tyne Valley Line, which runs between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. The station, situated 22 miles 22 chains (22.3 mi; 35.8 km) west of Newcastle, serves the market town of Hexham in Northumberland, England. It is owned by Network Rail and managed by Northern Trains.

Hexham
General information
Location	Hexham, Northumberland England
Coordinates	54°58′25″N 2°05′41″W
Grid reference	NY940643
Owned by	Network Rail
Managed by	Northern Trains
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	HEX
Classification	DfT category D
History
Original company	Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
Pre-grouping	North Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London and North Eastern Railway British Rail (North Eastern Region)
Key dates
9 March 1835 (1835-03-09)	Opened
Passengers
2018/19	0.343 million
Interchange	4,228
2019/20	0.372 million
Interchange	5,350
2020/21	80,300
Interchange	1,459
2021/22	0.287 million
Interchange	4,904
2022/23	0.336 million
Interchange	3,846
Listed Building – Grade II
Feature	Station buildings, platforms, canopies and footbridge
Designated	22 February 1988
Reference no.	1370815[1]
Location Hexham Location in Northumberland, England
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway was formed in 1829, and was opened in stages.^[2] The station opened in March 1835, following the commencement of passenger trains between Blaydon and Hexham.^[3][4] The line was extended from Hexham to Haydon Bridge in June 1836.^[5]

After the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway had been absorbed by the North Eastern Railway, the station became a junction, with the opening of the first section of the Border Counties Railway, between Hexham and Chollerford in April 1858.^[6] The first section of a second branch, the Hexham and Allendale Railway, was opened for goods in August 1867. Initially promoted to serve lead mines, the line opened for passengers in March 1869.^[7]

Since the closure of the Hexham and Allendale Railway to passengers in 1930 (completely in 1950), as well as the Border Counties Railway in 1956 (completely in 1958),^[8] the station has diminished in size and importance. Both lines met with the Tyne Valley Line to the west of the station.

The neighbouring station at Fourstones, located to the west of Hexham,^[9] closed in January 1967.^[10] Most other stations on the line that remained open, escaping the Beeching Axe, were reduced to unstaffed halt status in the same year.

The bay platform used by both the Hexham and Allendale Railway and the Border Counties Railway was located on the southern side of the station, and faced west. It was taken out of use in the early 1970s and the track lifted, with the land now forming a part of the station car park. The track layout has also since been rationalised, with just a running loop and three sidings retained at the east of the station, along with the distinctive elevated signal box.

Dating from around 1835, Hexham is one of the oldest purpose-built railway stations in the world,^[11] and is Grade II listed.^[12] The over-line, elevated signal box, located to the east of the station, is also Grade II listed. Constructed in 1896, and once a popular design for the line, it is now almost unique, with the only other surviving signal box of this design located at Wylam.^[13]

Since the mid-2000s, the station has accommodated office space for the Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership, who opened a kiosk at the station in 2011.

The floral displays at the station have won several awards from the Britain in Bloom scheme.^[14]

Redevelopment

In 2013 and 2014, a major Network Rail-managed redevelopment scheme was undertaken – at a cost of £8 million. This saw the regeneration of the former goods yard on the south east side of the station, with the construction of Broadgate Retail Park.^[15]

As well as this, the project also saw the Victorian railway stables relocated to Beamish Museum in County Durham,^[16] with the goods shed buildings retained and repurposed. On the north side of the station, a new station entrance and car park were created, creating step-free access to the Newcastle-bound platform, which had previously been accessible only by the pre-grouping metal footbridge.^[15]

Accidents and incidents

On 8 September 1943, ammunition exploded whilst being loaded onto a railway cart at the station. Three men were killed, whilst two others crawled underneath the burning carts, in order to disconnect them and prevent further explosions.^[17]

Facilities

The station is staffed on a part-time basis. The station has two platforms, each of which has two self-service ticket machines (which accept card or contactless payment only), seating, waiting room, next train audio and visual displays and an emergency help point. Step-free access is available to both platforms, with platforms also linked by a barrow crossing (with assistance only) and footbridge.

The station also contains retail and dining outlets, toilets and a taxi office. There is a small pay and display car park and cycle storage at the station.^[18]

Hexham is part of the Northern Trains penalty fare network, meaning that a valid ticket or promise to pay notice is required prior to boarding the train.^[19]

There is a bus stop and a taxi rank outside the station, with connections also available at the nearby Hexham Bus Station, which is located a short distance from the station at Loosing Hill.

Services

Northern Trains Route 4
v t e
Tyne Valley line
Carlisle Wetheral Brampton Haltwhistle Bardon Mill Haydon Bridge Hexham Corbridge Riding Mill Stocksfield Prudhoe Wylam Blaydon MetroCentre Dunston Newcastle
Most services extend to/from Morpeth or Nunthorpe.

As of the December 2023 timetable change, there are three trains per hour between Newcastle and Hexham, two of which extend to Carlisle. During the evening and on Sunday, an hourly service operates between Newcastle and Carlisle via Hexham. Many trains continue to Nunthorpe via Hartlepool (those that start/finish here) or Morpeth. All services are operated by Northern Trains.^[20]

Rolling stock used: Class 156 Super Sprinter and Class 158 Express Sprinter

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Corbridge towards Newcastle		Northern Trains Tyne Valley Line		Haydon Bridge towards Carlisle
	Historical railways
Terminus		North British Railway Border Counties Railway		Wall
Terminus		North Eastern Railway Hexham and Allendale Railway		Elrington Halt
Corbridge		North Eastern Railway Newcastle and Carlisle Railway		Fourstones

References

1. Historic England. "Hexham Railway Station (Grade II) (1370815)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
2. 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.
3. Allen, Cecil J. (1974) [1964]. The North Eastern Railway. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 35. ISBN 0-7110-0495-1.
4. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
5. Allen 1974, p. 36
6. Awdry, Christopher (1990). Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies. London: Patrick Stephens. p. 118. ISBN 1-85260-049-7. CN 8983.
7. Allen 1974, pp. 142–3
8. Body, Geoffrey (1988). Railways of the Eastern Region. Vol. 2: Northern operating area. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens. p. 134. ISBN 1-85260-072-1.
9. Conolly, W. Philip (1998) [1967]. "B3". British Railways Pre-Grouping Atlas and Gazetteer (5th ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 27. ISBN 0-7110-0320-3. EX/0176.
10. Butt 1995, p. 99
11. Ransom, P.J.G. (1990). The Victorian Railway and How it Evolved. London: Heinemann. p. 229. ISBN 0-434-98083-8. Retrieved 17 February 2020 – via Google Books. It must be one of the oldest station buildings in the world still in use for its original purpose.
12. Historic England. "Hexham Railway station (Grade II) (1370815)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
13. Historic England. "Overtrack Signal Box to the East of Hexham Railway station (Grade II) (1042523)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
14. Willoughby, James (15 September 2015). "Northumbria in Bloom results announced". Northumberland Gazette. Alnwick: Johnston Press. ISSN 1354-9189. Retrieved 27 September 2016. Bus/Metro/Railway Stations: [...] Hexham Railway Station, gold
15. "Work starts on £8m Hexham Goods Yard retail development". Network Rail Media Centre (Press release). Network Rail. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
16. Jarman, Paul (19 October 2013). "Hexham Railway Station Stables – on their way to Beamish..." Beamish Transport Online. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
17. Tilley, Brian (2017). Tynedale at War 1939–45. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 9781473863972.
18. "Hexham Station Train Tickets, Departures and Timetables". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
19. "Penalty Fares Map". Northern Trains. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
20. Table 42 National Rail timetable, December 2023

External links

• Train times and station information for Hexham railway station from National Rail

• Video footage and history narration