The Blyth & Tyne Railway

2024 sees the return of passenger trains between Newcastle and Ashington, sixty years after they were withdrawn. This is the latest instalment in the history of the ‘Blyth and Tyne’, the origins of which date back to a colliery railway that opened in 1840, quickly growing into a network of lines in south-eastern Northumberland.

The lines carried huge amounts of coal, but they were also important for passenger traffic, serving the coastal suburbs of Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. They operated the first electric trains to run in the country and in the 1970s became part of the Tyne & Wear Metro. Passenger traffic declined and was withdrawn in 1964. Coal traffic also dwindled until the last remaining traffic consisted of trains supplying biofuel to Lynemouth power station.

Using text and pictures, and based on original research, this book tells the story of the rise and decline of the lines and the successful campaign to bring passenger services back to the area.