Morpeth

Location type

Station

Name and dates

Morpeth (1847-)

Station code: MPT National Rail
Where: North East England, England
Opened on the Newcastle and Berwick Railway.

Description

This is a two platform station on the East Coast Main Line about a third of a mile south of the old Morpeth town centre over the River Wansbeck. There is a fine Tudor style two storey station building, with platform canopy, on the southbound platform. The architect was Benjamin Green, architect for the Newcastle and Berwick Railway stations. On the south side of the building three entrance archways have been blocked up and glazed. There is a car park on the south side and another nearby by the former Morpeth [B and T] terminus. At the west end the platforms extend out over Shields Road.

The North Eastern Railway, owner of the station from 1854, bought the Blyth and Tyne Railway in 1874 and soon afterwards rebuilt Morpeth station.

The Blyth and Tyne Railway was to terminate in a bay platform on the south side of the station with a connection allow access to the main line platforms. This bay is part of the car park.

The North Eastern Railway's replacement connection to the North British Railway was carefully planned to terminate the Wansbeck Railway at a side platform on the north side with a junction to the east and provide no connection to the Blyth and Tyne Railway, across the East Coast Main Line. The North British Railway had previously planned to use the Blyth and Tyne Railway to enter Newcastle from the north, but having gained access via Hexham gave up on this design.

All platforms were canopied, the remaining awning dating from 1880.

Tags

Station

External links

NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map




Chronology Dates

  /  /1871Wansbeck RailwayNewcastle and Berwick Railway
Curve (authorised in original Wansbeck Railway Act) put in to allow North British Railway trains to run into the main Morpeth station in either 1871 or 1872. The two companies built the curve towards each other, meeting in the middle. With this opening, the Wansbeck Railway trains stopped using the Morpeth Branch (Blyth and Tyne Railway)'s terminus.

News items

16/10/2023An eye-catching attempt to make Morpeth Railway Station a no-go area for pigeons [Berwick Advertiser]
16/10/2023Passengers urged to plan ahead as repair work to Plessey Viaduct will continue until early November [Network Rail]
09/10/2023Disruption around Morpeth as Network Rail undertakes urgent repair work to Plessey Viaduct [Network Rail]
24/07/2023'Stations need staff' - concerns over proposals that affect railway stations in Alnmouth, Berwick and Morpeth [Berwick Advertiser]
17/11/2022130-year-old embankment in Morpeth successfully stabilised [Network Rail]
09/06/2022New railway station at Belford included in North East transport wish list [Berwick Advertiser]
21/04/2022Residents kick up a stink over idling trains [Berwick Advertiser]
02/12/2021Northumberland's busiest station revealed [Northumberland Gazette]
02/09/2021Extra trains set to improve connectivity between Northumberland railway stations [Northumberland Gazette]
17/08/2021First trains travel on proposed Northumberland Line route [Network Rail]

Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North-east v. 4 (A regional history of the railways of Great Britain)

Newcastle (Rail Centres)

Newcastle To Alnmouth.: and the Amble Branch. (Eastern Main Lines.)