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Legend
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The Alnwick branch line was a railway line in Northumberland, northern England. It ran from Alnmouth railway station, on the East Coast Main Line, to the town of Alnwick, a distance of 2.75 miles (4.5 km).
It opened in 1850 to both freight and passenger traffic; passenger operations included direct Newcastle to Alnwick services, as well as regular shuttle runs between Alnmouth and Alnwick. As late as 1966, some of the Alnmouth to Alnwick shuttles were operated by steam locomotives, making this one of the very last British Rail routes with steam-hauled passenger services.
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Although the line survived the Beeching cuts, it was closed in January 1968 on cost grounds. The old embankment after the line had crossed the A1 road now forms the rear boundary of some of the gardens on the Royal Oak Gardens residential development.
The Aln Valley Railway Trust plans to reopen the line from Alnmouth to Alnwick and restore passenger services. The new station at Alnwick would be on a different site from the original Alnwick station due to the A1 dual carrageway being built across the original trackbed after closure.[1]. Rolling stock is stored at Longhoughton goods yard [2]. Planning permission for the first phase of the project (From Lloyds Field to just short of Greenriggs Bridge) was granted by Northumberland Council on 1 July 2010 and work is due to start in early 2012.
| Point | Coordinates |
|---|---|
| Western end - Alnwick railway station | |
| Approx. mid-point | |
| Under Construction - Lionheart railway station | |
| Eastern end - Alnmouth railway station |