| Walker Station | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Northumberland |
| Operations | |
| Pre-grouping | North Eastern Railway |
| Post-grouping | British Rail |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| 1.5.1879 | Opened as Low Walker |
| 13.5.1899 | Re-named Walker |
| 14.8.1967 | Freight facilities Closed |
| 23.7.1973 | Closed completely |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
|
Walker station, known as Low Walker station until 1899, was located in Northumberland on the North Eastern Railway. This station served as a passenger halt and goods depot for shipping companies such as Armstrong Whitworth and other land based componies like the Northern Wood Haskinizing Company. The station was on the Riverside branch from Newcastle to Tynemouth via Carville.
Contents |
This 6 and a half mile branch which was actually a loop was authorised on 13 July 1871. This would be from Riverside Junction, between Manors East and Heaton, to Percy Main. The reason this branch was suggested is that the nearby line from Newcastle to North Shields via Wallsend was failing to cope with the growing communities around the River Tyne and in the Walker area. W.W.Thomas said "The route consisted for the most of tunnels, bridges, cuttings, retaining walls and embankments - an exceptionally heavy series of works". Also the line was very indirect compared to the Wallsend tracks.
The Line first opened in 1879 under the North Eastern Railway. The stations on route are Byker(from 1901), St.Peters, St.Anthony's, Low Walker (Walker from 1889), Carville, Point Pleasant and Willington Quey before rejoining the main tracks towards Percy Main.
Walkers Station was in the South East part of Newcastle right on the edge of it in fact. It was located far south of the main line and Walker Gate railway station. It was also very close to the river Tyne. The shipyards and warhouses lay to the East and the sparsely populated surrounding of Walkers road are to the west. Despite having tram, bus and trolly bus stops outside Walkers became the most booked station on the Riverside branch.
The station had two platform of which at the far south End was a single level brick building and a subway under the tracks to connect the platforms, of which the other one at the north had the main two story station house of which was made from brick. A later addition is a conservatory was added at an unknown date. Down past the southern end is a brick lockup and a typical NER signal box. This was there in place until it closed to passengers. There was also a bricked up waiting room on the eastern platform.
The Station and Lock up buildings remained in place after closure and one track got removed. When the goods route between St. Peters and Carville stopped in 1987 the track was removed and the buildings demolished.
After the war economy meant that trains were limited to Monday-Saturday peak hours. Then Byke and St. Anthonys were closed quickly after each other in 1954 and 1960. Further economies shared with the main line stopped electric trains and reduced the trains to a few diesel trains.
Then in the Beeching report it was recommended it should be closed. However the line was resilient to close and it even stayed in use despite a road from Wallsend to Willington Quay being built. Again it survived another road from Carville, Point Pleasant and Willington Quay. However it could survive the lack of profit which annually lost the whole line £85,000 from upkeep and lack of passengers on the riverside branch.
In 1973 the line along with Walkers was finally closed, but there was no special train on the line. In fact it was a random 16.24 Newcastle direct that was the last ever train on the branch and into Walkers.
The station lays demolished, the track bed is a cycle path and the station lies under a scrapyard. There is no real way of ever telling a station was once here.