Wansbeck Railway
| Wansbeck Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Locale | Northumberland |
| Continues as | North British Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The Wansbeck Railway was a single track railway line in Northumberland, England, that ran from Morpeth to Reedsmouth, where it made a junction with the Border Counties Railway. Conceived as part of a through trunk route for the North British Railway, it never achieved its potential. It opened in stages from 1862 to 1865. Mineral traffic kept the line going; the population was sparse.
In 1870 the Rothbury branch opened, from a junction on the Wansbeck line at Scotsgap.
The passenger train service was discontinued in 1952 and the line closed completely in 1966.
In 1847 the Newcastle and Berwick Railway was opened. Conceived by George Hudson, the so-called Railway King, it was to form part of a through railway connection from Edinburgh to London. It later became part of the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway.
It had a station at Morpeth, and people in towns not connected to a railway realised they were at a disadvantage against those who were: materials brought in cost more, and the transport to market of local manufactures also cost more.
The people of Rothbury felt this need particularly; the locality had long been prominent in the production of lime, used to improve acidic soil for agricultural purposes, and much in demand in the general area of Morpeth. in 1855 a railway linking Morpeth and Rothbury was proposed. It was to cost £95,000, but although finding a favourable reaction, the scheme failed to generate action and it was dropped.
By 1858 the Border Counties Railway had opened the first section of its line, and this local railway close by encouraged further thoughts of a railway in the area, but not to Rothbury. This line would run west from Morpeth to Reedsmouth on the Border Counties line, there getting access to the intended rich coalfields of Plashetts. At Morpeth the new line would link with the Blyth and Tyne Railway, giving direct access to wharves on the North Sea, and over that line to Newcastle. The line would be 26 miles long. Moreover, the Border Counties Railway had the clear intention of linking with the Border Union Railway. The BUR was sponsored by the North British Railway, and when it opened its line became known as The Waverley Route. The Border Counties Railway was to link with this route at a place that became known as Riccarton.
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