Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station
Berwick-upon-Tweed | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Northumberland |
Managed by | East Coast |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Station code | BWK |
History | |
Opened | 1847[1] |
Original company | North British Railway / Newcastle and Berwick Railway |
Pre-grouping | North British Railway / North Eastern Railway |
Post-grouping | LNER |
Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. It is located on the East Coast Main Line, 335 miles north of London Kings Cross and 55 miles south of Edinburgh Waverley. It is the most northerly railway station in England, being only a few miles from the most northerly point in England.
The station, with its long single island platform lies immediately to the north of the Royal Border Bridge.
History
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In 1847, the Great Hall of Berwick Castle had to be demolished to make way for the newly-built station (the former West Wall of the castle still marks the boundary of the now-defunct station goods yard). This replaced an initial structure erected by the North British Railway, whose line from the north first reached the town in 1846[2]. The Newcastle and Berwick Railway meanwhile reached the southern bank of the River Tweed in March 1847, but it would be another eighteen months before a temporary viaduct across the river was commissioned to allow through running between Edinburgh and Newcastle. This in turn was replaced by the current Royal Border Bridge in July 1850[3].
The station was also at one time served by local stopping trains between Newcastle & Edinburgh and the branch line from Newtown St Boswells via Kelso (which joined the main line at Tweedmouth, on the other side of the river) from 1851 until closure in 1964[4].
For approximately 5 months in 1979, this was the terminal station for services from London Kings Cross after the East Coast Main Line was blocked by the collapse of Penmanshiel Tunnel. Buses linked this station with Dunbar, from where a railway shuttle service continued to Edinburgh Waverley.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/Berwick_on_tweed_train_station1864410_338dec46.jpg/275px-Berwick_on_tweed_train_station1864410_338dec46.jpg)
Services
Preceding station | ![]() |
Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Alnmouth | CrossCountry Cross Country Network |
Dunbar | ||
Newcastle | East Coast East Coast Main Line |
Dunbar | ||
Historical railways | ||||
connection to Newcastle and Berwick Railway |
North British Railway |
Burnmouth Line open; station closed | ||
Tweedmouth Line open; station closed |
Newcastle and Berwick Railway | connection to North British Railway |
Buses from the station Buses to the station
Gallery
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Berwick station stands on the site of an historic mediaeval castle, where Robert Bruce's claim was originally declined, and John Balliol's accepted. This plaque is within the station
References
Notes
- ^ Butt (1995)
- ^ Body, p.35
- ^ Body, p.36
- ^ "Kelso railway station history (www.border-net.co.uk)". Retrieved 2008-11-21.
Sources
- Anderson, David (July 1996). "Steam Days at Berwick-upon-Tweed". Steam Days. 83: 403–13.
- Anon. (May–June 1966). "Berwick". Perspective East Yorkshire. 15: 359.
- Body, G. (1989). PSL Field Guides - Railways of the Eastern Region Volume 2: Northern operating area (1st ed.). Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-8526-0072-1. OCLC 59892452.
- Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
- Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
- Stoton, Frederick (1909). "Berwick-on-Tweed (North British Railway)". Railway Magazine. 24: 473–8.
- Warn, C. (Spring 1980). "Berwick area railways". Northumbriana. 19: 21–3.
- RAILSCOT on North British Railway
- RAILSCOT on Newcastle and Berwick Railway