Blaydon railway station

Blaydon Add→{{rail-interchange}}
General information
Location	Gateshead
Coordinates	54.9658°N 1.7130°W / 54.9658; -1.7130
Managed by	Northern
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	BLO
History
Opened	10 March 1835

Blaydon railway station is a railway station serving Blaydon in Tyne and Wear, northern England. It is located on the Tyne Valley Line (which runs from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle) 5+1⁄2 miles (8.9 km) west of Newcastle Central and is managed by Northern.

History

The station was constructed by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (N&CR), and opened on 9 March 1835 as the line's initial eastern terminus. Through running to Redheugh (Gateshead) on the south bank of the River Tyne began in 1837 and the line was completed through to Carlisle the following year. A second cross-river line via Scotswood to a temporary terminus near the site of Newcastle Central was opened in 1839 (diverging immediately east of the station), although it was not until January 1851 that Central station was accessible via this route. It was enlarged on the opening of the Lanchester Valley Extension line in 1867, with Blaydon Junction opening to its east; this enabled trains to run to Blackhill, Consett and through to Durham. The station was substantially rebuilt in 1912 with new red brick station buildings and glass canopies. Passenger services over the Derwent Valley line ended in 1954 and it closed completely in 1963.

In 1969, Blaydon became an unstaffed station, and the canopies were removed. The station buildings were demolished in 1977 due to neglect and persistent vandalism. Services over the route via the Scotswood Bridge were withdrawn on 4 October 1982 and the line closed (few traces of this now remain, though the position of the station signal box gives a clue as to the old alignment); all services were henceforth diverted over the original 1837 route along the south bank of the Tyne and then onward through Dunston, Bensham Junction and then over the King Edward VII Bridge, a route that had previously only been used by freight traffic.

Facilities

As noted above, the station is unmanned and has a single ticket machine on the westbound platform. There are basic shelters on both platforms, which are linked by a footbridge. Train running information is offered by timetable posters and audio announcements. Step-free access is possible on both platforms, although the eastbound platform is only accessible via a considerable detour across the adjacent level crossing. There is limited space for car parking adjacent to the westbound platform with further spaces available next to Blaydon Signal box. A pedestrian footbridge links the station with Blaydon Shopping Centre and bus interchange.

Services

Northern Trains Route 4
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.

Blaydon railway station in 1965.

View in 1989

Up until the beginning of December 2013, the service there was infrequent compared to others on the line - three services on Monday to Friday to Hexham and three to Newcastle, whilst on Saturdays there were three to Hexham and two to Newcastle & no service at all on Sundays.

In the December 2013 timetable change, the station began to receive a much improved service with calls every two hours in each direction (by Middlesbrough - Hexham trains) and extra departures at peak times. There was also a Sunday service for the first time since the early 1970s. As of May 2018, the station now receives at least an hourly service during the day in each direction, and half hourly calls at peak times.

The Office of Rail & Road estimates of station usage attributes the sharp rise in passenger numbers as down to the timetabling improvements.

References

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
MetroCentre		Northern Tyne Valley Line		Wylam